Ronaldo ready to pay 14.7 mln euros in Spanish tax fraud case: media

Reuters
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo. Russia v Portugal - FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 - Group A - Spartak Stadium, Moscow, Russia - June 21, 2017 REUTERS/John Sibley

MADRID (Reuters) - Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo is ready to pay Spain's tax authorities 14.7 million euros ($16.39 million) - the amount he has been accused of defrauding by a prosecutor - ahead of a court hearing next month, Spanish state TV said on Wednesday. Broadcaster TVE said, without identifying its sources, the 32-year-old would make this payment as a gesture of good will. The report added Rolando will reiterate at a hearing on July 31 that he is innocent and has never hidden any income from the taxman or committed any tax fraud in Spain. Representatives for Ronaldo declined to comment. The Spanish prosecutor says the Real Madrid forward knowingly used a business structure to hide his image rights income in Spain between 2011 and 2014. Ronaldo has denied the charges. ($1 = 0.8971 euros) (Reporting by Julien Toyer, editing by Pritha Sarkar)