Experts do not believe he was involved in tax fraud

Two tax office experts told a Gavá (Barcelona) court on Wednesday that Leo Messi did not take part in the management of his image rights, according to legal sources.

The accused in the case are the player and his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, allegedly guilty of tax evasion to the sum of €4 million corresponding to the 2007, 2008 and 2009 financial years.

The tax office officials who testified today were the same ones who drew up the report on the player's alleged strategy to avoid paying all of the tax due on his income from image rights.

According to sources close to the case, the two officials ratified their report before the judge trying the case and stated that they do not believe that the player was involved in managing his image rights.

Messi and his father appeared in the Gavà court on 27th September. A few weeks earlier, they had paid €5 million owed to the taxman, and this "reparatory payment" avoided the judge imposing a bond to guarantee any future civil liability.

Prosecutors stated in their action that the intent to defraud was on the part of Messi's father, who also acts as the player's agent.