The Portuguese hacker Rui Pinto, whose Football Leaks material prompted the Premier League’s probe into Manchester City, is set to lose his witness protection. By his own telling, the move leaves him facing a grave risk to his life.
On X, Pinto wrote on Friday that his removal from Portugal’s witness protection programme on 10 October forces him to move to a secret place without knowing how long he will stay there. He pointed to “multiple death threats” and “the serious risk of an assassination attempt.” as reasons for his decision.
A man who says he is a whistleblower entered Portugal’s witness protection programme in 2020, after agreeing to work with authorities and give files from the Football Leaks operation. At 37 years old, he has also faced legal trouble there: he was found guilty of offences including illegal access to data and attempted extortion, and handed a four-year suspended sentence.
The Documents That Started It All
The confidential documents about an English Premier League team were released by Pinto, who included emails and financial records among the material. He shared these documents with German magazine Der Spiegel, which drew on them for investigations into the club’s finances and alleged breaches of financial fair play rules, in 2018.
The findings concerned whether the Premier League’s decision to open an inquiry into Manchester City’ was abiding by its own financial rules. Manchester City were found guilty last week on all counts regarding breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations from the 2009-10 through 2017-18 seasons, and they have since appealed the verdict.
City’s appeal is pending, and the club has confirmed it. The guilty verdict was handed down in a case that spanned nearly a decade of City’s financial activity.
Why Pinto Is Still in Danger
Pinto posted on X on Friday to explain the situation. He said the decision to terminate his participation in the programme has put him in a “life-threatening situation.” He relocated to an undisclosed location because of the threats and the risk of assassination.
The dangers are not new. During his first trial in 2020, Pinto wore a bulletproof vest, and the proceedings were marked by increased security measures. Those precautions were standard for someone who had been targeted before.
The Legal Case Against Him
Pinto carries convictions on his record. In Portugal, he was found guilty of offences including illegal access to data and attempted extortion, and handed a four-year suspended sentence. Those convictions have not been settled, and the legal proceedings arising from the leaks continue, including the case against Manchester City.
This year, he walked free after a second trial on 241 counts of illegally accessing email accounts belonging to a number of Portuguese sports organizations, including Benfica. That verdict cleared some of the charges against him, though it left the larger case against him still unresolved.
Pinto’s Target Now Is Infantino
On Wednesday, Pinto shifted his focus to Fifa president Gianni Infantino, saying he had already “become a cancer on football” and now should “have no place in the future of the game”.
Pinto repeated claims made by 2018, which say that Infantino stepped in to assist City and Paris St-Germain so they would not face financial fair play penalties from Uefa, the body that governs European football. None of these allegations have been confirmed.
Infantino’s position has recently come under increased pressure following controversial plans to sell stakes in the governing body’s competitions, such as the World Cup, to private investors. Pinto’s renewed focus on Infantino comes at a moment when the Fifa president faces scrutiny over those plans.
What Comes Next For Pinto
Pinto has set up a fundraising page to help him “survive this serious situation”, which he claims was “created by the Portuguese State”. The page is available for supporters to contribute.
A separate fundraising drive exists apart from the legal case. On Friday, Pinto’s legal team issued a statement explaining that the choice to cease his involvement in the witness protection programme placed him under increased danger.
The Commission for the Protection of Victims of Crimes in Portugal has been asked for a response by BBC Sport.
The Risk Of Losing Witness Protection
Ending Pinto’s protection is a grave step. The witness-protection program exists to shield individuals with information that matters to a case, and Pinto has provided such information. He has already put that knowledge to use.
He says the dangers are genuine. Pinto described facing several death threats and a serious risk of an assassination attempt. To answer those threats, he has relocated to an undisclosed location.
Pinto’s situation is a reminder of how thin the line between exposure and survival can be for people who know too much. The Football Leaks documents changed the shape of football’s financial investigations, and Pinto paid a heavy price for releasing them.
Key Facts To Keep Track Of
- Pinto released Football Leaks documents in 2018, which were shared with Der Spiegel.
- He was convicted in Portugal of illegal data access and attempted extortion, with a four-year suspended sentence.
- He was acquitted earlier this year of 241 counts of illegally accessing email accounts, including those of Benfica.
- City were found guilty of all charges relating to breaches of Premier League financial regulations between 2009-10 and 2017-18.
- Pinto has turned his attention to Fifa president Gianni Infantino, repeating allegations from 2018 that Infantino helped City and PSG avoid financial fair play sanctions.
- His witness protection is being terminated on 10 October, putting him in a life-threatening situation.
Manchester City’s legal troubles persist, with the case against the club still unresolved. Pinto finds himself in a difficult position. He has relocated to a secret location and is now seeking money to make ends meet through what he describes as a grave situation engineered by the Portuguese State.
His protection has been ended, and there is no sign in the source that it can be restored. The fate of what follows rests with those around him, as well as on whether the institutions that pledged to shield him hold to their promise.
Pinto remains in hiding, with a fundraiser still active and a legal fight still underway.
Source material: “Man City whistleblower to lose witness protection,” the BBC.
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