Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi and his father are being investigated in Spain for allegedly defrauding the state of more than 4m euros (£3.4m).

The 25-year-old Argentina forward and his father, Jorge Horacio, are suspected of filing fraudulent tax returns for 2007-09, officials say.

The World Player of the Year has so far made no comment on the allegation.

His net annual salary at Barcelona is said to be 16m euros, making him one of the world's highest-paid athletes.

On Wednesday, a complaint signed by prosecutor Raquel Amado was filed at the courthouse in Gava - the affluent Barcelona district where Messi lives.

Judges at the courthouse must accept the complaint before the suspects can be charged, reports say.

Messi and his father are suspected of using companies abroad - in Belize and Uruguay - to sell the rights to use the footballer's image.

The accusation is that by using companies based outside Spain where he lives and plays club football, Messi and his father avoided paying more than 4m euros in tax...
http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22877408

He wrote on his Facebook page: "We have never committed any infringement. We have always fulfilled all our tax obligations, following the advices of our tax consultants who will take care of clarifying this situation."

The investigation comes as the Spanish authorities step up their efforts to clamp down on tax fraud, as the government tries to balance its budget during a continuing economic crisis,

WELL DAYUMMM FRAUD ? MESSI ? WHO KNEW MESSI WAS A 419 MAN EH ?

The Reason Why I Love The Western World in particular and Develop Countries in General Is That, ''You can't Sin and go Free,irrespective Of who You are,If You are not caught immediately,Someday Somehow in the Future Your Sin of the past will hunt You,and the Punishment You duly deserve will be given to You''.Lionel Messi You think the way You Use Your Left Foot On the Pitch To Deceive GoalKeepers and Player,you think you Can replicate that with the Spanish Government abi?Na Lie o. ***Continue Puffing My Expensive Cuban Cigar***

E mess in my mouth e add salt join am

No wonder e dey see money close fifa mouth.


Dey will hammer me for sure on dis one

leave my boy alone o.

second to comment, ALHAMDULILAHI.

Make dem go sit don jare,na him cause poverty for spain?

[size=20pt]Ehen, he shud come to England to join ChelseaFC na....[/size]

that his father and not Messi

Where there is a star; there will always be haters.....

now barca enemies will see this as a base to attack messi without having knowledge of the full story

Tax, tax, tax and tax! why is it that tax is always the weapon that is used against these so called celebrities. I wish them luck o!

A cheat will always be a cheat..

what a saga......

Good for Him... first page tins

herkeem: second to comment, ALHAMDULILAHI.

sorry you miss target

Messi and his father are suspected of using companies abroad - in Belize and Uruguay - to sell the rights to use the footballer's image.

The accusation is that by using companies based outside Spain where he lives and plays club football, Messi and his father avoided paying more than 4m euros in tax...

4 million Euros no be beans, me too go try avoid am if e no dey illegal? Even if he did it, I don't really see what is wrong? It's his image so...

Wahali dey won chop d guy moni wit style. Europeans sabi how to nail u weda u commit or nt nobe dia biznex

Tax. We no send dat one for naija.

Messi with tax avoidance; Ronaldo patron of prostitutes......I resemble both of them in these act

When did Messi start making business decisions? Well, since his accountants and assistants represent him sha...

MALAWI 2 KENYA 2 FINAL RESULT IN BLANTYRE, NIGERIA ONLY NEED A WIN TO GO THROUGH TO THE KNOCK OUT STAGE. GOD BLESS NIGERIA.

Dey re thieves in Spain. Messi is wise enough to do business out side n evade d so called tax. Wat is dia business if he decides to use company outside Spain to do his business. Did Spain made him world footballer or rather he has made dem earn more money in Spain. Hisssssssssss

[size=18pt]MUHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH! >[/size]

IT IS A LIE OO:

We communicate “We have just known through the media about the claim filed by the Spanish tax authorities. We are surprised about those news, because we have never committed any infringement. We have always fulfilled all our tax obligations, following the advices of our Tax Consultants who will take care of clarifying this situation.”

SOURCE: MESSI'S FACEBOOK HOMEPAGE.

Whateva rocks his boat

To all those fake barca fan were they yab chelsea say we be agbero club, una own worse..Your hit man is a criminal (criminal club )...

**Singing In Felas voice***

Catch am cath am thief thief thief, Catch am cath am robber robber...

LORD JAGARA:Major what can You say to this MAJOR TORINO:My Lord,I am Surprise o,I Never Knew that Short Man was a Crook. LORD JAGARA:.**nodding Head**The Wonders Short Men Do Surprise the Tall Ones. MAJOR TORINO.:Hahahaha My Lord is that a philosophical statment,any way I Concur.

Nairalanders sef! He is yet to be charged or tried and many have pronounced him guilty. Nonsense.

SamConquer: The Reason Why I Love The Western World in particular and Develop Countries in General Is That, ''You can't Sin and go Free,irrespective Of who You are,If You are not caught immediately,Someday Somehow in the Future Your Sin of the past will hunt You,and the Punishment You duly deserve will be given to You''.Lionel Messi You think the way You Use Your Left Foot On the Pitch To Deceive GoalKeepers and Player,you think you Can replicate that with the Spanish Government abi?Na Lie o. ***Continue Puffing My Expensive Cuban Cigar***

oh o just like bill clinton pardoned hundreds of criminals accused of tax frauds,financial crime etc and also how some european government are partial in justice delivery abi.guy u are making a huge mistake saying western and developed countries are fair in purnishing a criminal.