Sito Pons, acquitted of tax fraud where he faced 24 years in prison

The audience in Barcelona exonerated the former motorcycling champion Alfonso “Sito” Pons in six crimes against Tax authorities For what is persecution asked him to sentence him to 24 years in prison for not complying with his obligation to pay taxes on Spain between the years 2010 and 2014.

In his sentence, the eighth section of Audience it is accepted for granted in those four years “Here” Pons he spent more than 200 days traveling on motorcycle circuits around the world and his tax residence is in Monacobetween 2010 and 2012, and from 2013 to 2014 in United Kingdom.

The persecution demanded the motorcycling champion, who was defended by the law firm Molins Criminal Defense and the tax attorney Inaki Picazaa sentence of 24 years in prison and a fine of more than 12 million euros for six crimes of tax fraud, an accusation in which both Spanish Tax Agency like Catalan.

The courtin his sentence, confirms that in those years he paid taxes in the countries where he established his residence: “As a taxpayer, he declared the income derived from work for others and for his own account, as well as interest earned,” the resolution said.

Except audience in Barcelona sees evidence that the “larger part of economic interests and financial assets” of “place” ponsas well as “the core of its economic activity”, is concentrated and located outside the territory of Spain, “with the exception of certain properties located in Spain“.

In fact, during the trial, held in February and early March of this year, the defense of “Here” Pons the expilot is said to have lived abroad for 30 years, so he was not disappointed Tax authorities to the people who accused them.

In addition, the lawyers argued that his team’s industrial warehouse was in Castellbisbal (Barcelona) It is a “warehouse” where the material is stored, because its headquarters is in London, where the former driver currently lives, who now holds the position of “manager” of the team. pons race.

To do this, the defense presented a series of documentary evidence during the trial, such as the rented apartment in Londonenergy supply charges for a habitual residence, the purchase of a car in the British capital or plane tickets to and from this city to travel to motorcycling competitions, among others.

In addition, they alleged that the expilot did not have a contracted telephone line Spainneither bank accounts in this country nor residential invoices, nor is he a member of any sports club: “He cannot be kept living in Spain“, concluded the defense during the trial.

The public ministry argued in his indictment that between 2010 and 2014, “Here” Pons pretend to live in another country – first in Monaco and then in London- and managed from his team’s headquarters in Castellbisbal a network of companies it used as instrumental companies to avoid taxes, based in tax havens or low-tax countries such as Isles of Man, the Virgin Islands, Jersey, Cyprus, the Netherlands or Malta.

After learning of the acquittal, the former motorcycling champion’s law firm rejoiced that the innocence of “Here” Ponstherefore “completely discredited” the accusations of persecution and of Spanish and Catalan Tax Agenciesthat “without any foundation they associate serious tax fraud.”