Madrid ( CNN ) -- Soccer star Lionel Messi and his father testified in a Barcelona court Friday in a preliminary hearing over allegations they defrauded Spanish tax authorities of more than $ 5 million . Prosecutors filed charges last June . Messi has denied any wrongdoing , and last August he and his father paid $ 6.75 million in back taxes plus interest . But a prosecution spokesman told CNN by phone that they still had to appear in court because they are potentially liable , if the matter goes to trial and they are convicted , to pay a fine of $ 10 million to $ 32 million and could be sentenced to up to four years in jail . The complaint centers on alleged tax fraud during 2007 , 2008 and 2009 . Prosecutors contend Messi and his father , aiming to lower their Spanish tax bill , sought to manage the player 's lucrative income from image rights through shell companies set up overseas . Messi , 26 , has a yearly salary from his club , FC Barcelona , of just over $ 20 million plus around $ 21 million in endorsements from sponsors including Adidas and PepsiCo . `` We have always fulfilled all our tax obligations , following the advice of our tax consultants , who will take care of clarifying this situation , '' Messi posted on his Facebook page last June . His father , Jorge Horacio Messi , was first to arrive on Friday at a court in Gava , a Barcelona suburb chosen because the soccer star 's home is within its jurisdiction . Messi , a four-time world player of the year , arrived later and video images of the scene showed a crowd gathered to cheer on , and seek autographs from , the star who 's helped FC Barcelona stay atop the Spanish league standings this season . The closed-door hearings were held before an investigating magistrate and included prosecutors , the Messis and their lawyers , and a lawyer for Spain 's tax authority , said the prosecution spokesman . Messi testified for about 30 minutes and his father , for about an hour , earlier and separately , said Gemma Linan , a reporter for CNN affiliate 8tv , who was outside the courthouse . After the hearings , the lawyer for the Messis , Cristobal Martell , spoke briefly to reporters , promising total transparency and a willingness to collaborate and make sure taxes are paid , and adding that there had been no intent to defraud . `` We were told to do only one thing : to collaborate with the administration to clear up the facts showing the economic data , '' Martell said , according to a translation by Reuters . `` The order we were given by the Messi family was to show transparency , clarity and collaboration . We proceeded as we did today with the only goal of showing transparency , and we have proven little aim for fraud and a clear will to regulate the situation with the State Agency for Tax Administration , in order to avoid any big fight with the state regarding the fiscal ruling . '' The prosecution spokesman , who by custom is not identified , said that last Wednesday , just two days before the hearing , Martell tried to reach an out-of-court settlement with prosecutors for the Messis . Prosecutors proposed that both Messi and his father would plead guilty to tax evasion in the hearing , and would likely be fined about $ 10 million and receive a one-year sentence , which would not require time in prison because they have no prior convictions , the spokesman said . But Martell said the Messis were opposed . He proposed that only the father would make such a plea , in exchange for prosecutors and the court relieving Leo Messi of any responsibility . Prosecutors would not accept that based on Spanish law , the spokesman said . Inside the court , Messi 's father testified that he was in charge of the finances , and any blame would be his , and Lionel Messi was not involved , according to a prosecutor who talked to an ad hoc pool of Spanish journalists , Linan said . Messi , who arrived at Barcelona as a 13-year-old in 2000 , has won six Spanish Primera Liga titles and three Champions League crowns and scored an unparalleled 86 goals for the club and his national team , Argentina , in 2012 . FC Barcelona has refused comment on the case .
Soccer star Lionel Messi and his father are accused of tax fraud . They have paid $ 6.75 million in back taxes and claims and denied responsibility . They say they could be fined up to $ 1 million and sentenced to five years in jail .