Mascherano charged with tax fraud worth €1.5M

Public prosecutors in Spain have charged Barcelona's
Javier Mascherano with tax fraud totalling more than
€1.5 million.

Javier Mascherano has been charged with evading taxes
totalling more than €1.5million, authorities in Spain have
announced.

The Barcelona man is alleged to have avoided declaring the
total income from image rights between 2011 and 2012 by using
companies based on foreign shores.

Public prosecutors in Spain claim Argentina international
Mascherano defrauded authorities of €587,822.01 in 2011 and
€968,907.76 the following year.

As recorded by agency Efe, the Economic Crimes Public
Prosecutor's Office said in a statement that Mascherano, "with
the goal of dodging that tax burden", failed to declare income
from sponsors "paid via a company located in the United States
and another in the Portuguese island Madeira".

"The island's duty-free area holds a particularly favourable tax
regime," the statement added.

Mascherano, who has so far made no comment on the
allegations, has already paid the amount owed this month plus
an additional interest payment of close to €200,000, the
prosecutor's office has said.

Last week, Mascherano's Barca team-mate Neymar had around
€42m of his assets frozen by a court in his native Brazil on
suspicion of tax evasion. Neymar's parents have denied the
accusations levelled at their son.

Barca and Argentina superstar Lionel Messi and his father are
also set to face trial in Spain for alleged tax fraud. Both men
deny any wrongdoing.