adminMADRID. — A Spanish court said yesterday it has exchanged a 21-month prison sentence handed to soccer player Lionel Messi for tax fraud last July for a quarter-of-a-million-euro fine.
The Barcelona player and his father were found guilty by a Catalan court last year of three counts of tax fraud to the tune of 4,1 million euros ($4,68 million) over income earned from image rights.
The father also had his 15-month sentence exchanged for a fine of 180 000 euros, the court said.
Neither Messi nor his father would have served time in jail following the original ruling as defendants without a previous conviction are permitted to serve any sentence of under two years on probation. — Reuters.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter