Spain’s top court upholds Messi’s prison term in tax fraud

Sports 
Spain’s top court upholds Messi’s prison term in tax fraud

Madrid (Web Desk): Spain’s Supreme Court has ratified a 21-month prison sentence handed down to Argentine star Lionel Messi for tax fraud.

Messi, and his father Jorge Horacio who received the same sentence, were also fined 2 million euros ($2.24 million) in a ruling in July last year.

They appealed to the Supreme Court, where their appeal of partially rejected as the player’s father sentence reduced it to 15 months jail, taking into account that his football star son had paid back the defrauded money to tax authorities.

Neither Messi nor his father are expected to serve time in jail, as under Spanish law sentences under two years can be served under probation.