Messi tax hearing delayed 10 days

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(Xinhua) 12:53, September 11, 2013

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FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi and his father will appear in court to answer charges of tax evasion on Sept. 27, it was confirmed on Tuesday.

The change of date came after a hearing, which had been scheduled for next week was postponed.

Messi and his father face charges of filing incomplete tax returns for the years 2006-2009 and have already made a payment of over five million euros to the Spanish tax authorities on August 14.

The changes come from the fact that image rights of the man who was voted World Player of the Year are shrouded in mystery given that they are tired to a web of companies registered in places such as Uruguay, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. The Spanish Treasury believes he should have declared just over 4.1 million euros in income tax as the result of benefits obtained by around 20 different companies.

Messi has long proclaimed his innocence over the affair, posting a message on his facebook page in July insisting, "we have never committed any offense. We have always attended all of our obligations to the Treasury following the advice of our financial advisors."

Meanwhile the El Pais newspaper in Spain reported Tuesday that when Messi and his father paid the 5 million euros in August, Messi's father, Jorge, also handed a note in which he emphasized Messi, "has always dedicated himself to playing football and nothing else."

Messi and his father had been scheduled to appear in court on September 17, but their lawyer asked for another date, given he had other business that day. They will now appear on Sept. 27, with Jorge speaking to the judge at 10am local time and Leo an hour later.

（Editor：WangXin、Chen Lidan）