Rui Pinto, the hacker whose Football Leaks revelations helped trigger investigations into Manchester City’s finances, is facing the loss of his witness protection in Portugal and has launched a £2.55m (€3m) fundraising appeal to relocate.
Pinto was told last Wednesday that the special security programme he has been under since August 2020 will end on October 10. His lawyers said he would lose his protected accommodation within days and had no guarantee that police protection would continue.
In a statement, they described the decision as having “serious consequences” and likened it to “state terrorism”.
“Rui Pinto, the whistleblower who was at the origin of Football Leaks, was notified last Wednesday that the special security program from which he has benefited since August 2020 will end on October 10,” the statement said.
“In just a few days, without having been heard beforehand, as the law requires, he will lose the protected and confidential residence that was assigned to him and will be forced to urgently find new housing, with no guarantee that police protection will be maintained.”
The lawyers said Pinto’s position had become critical after he was assaulted in Lisbon last April. They added that his disclosures had involved powerful people and that several related legal cases remained active, including the Premier League’s proceedings against Manchester City.
Pinto, 37, released thousands of confidential documents through Football Leaks, including emails from within Manchester City. Those files formed the basis of reporting by Der Spiegel in 2018, which led to investigations by UEFA and the Premier League.
The Premier League’s independent commission confirmed this week that Manchester City had been found guilty of all of the league’s serious financial regulation breaches.
Pinto was given a four-year suspended sentence in Portugal in 2020 after being convicted of illegal access to data and attempted extortion. He wore a bulletproof vest when attending his trial, as security around the court was increased.
His lawyers argued that his cooperation with “Portuguese justice” justified maintaining the protection programme and called on the Ministry of Justice to reconsider. Pinto instead set up a GoFundMe campaign, saying he needed to move to an “undisclosed location” because of “multiple death threats and the serious risk of an assassination attempt”.
“I am asking for everyone’s support to help me survive this serious situation created by the Portuguese State, which, as I have already stated, has knowingly decided to place my life at risk,” he wrote. The campaign had raised just over £14,000 (€16,582) in its early stages.
Manchester City deny using “sham” contracts and disguising more than £900m in sponsorship payments. The club has appealed, insisting it has “irrefutable evidence” of its innocence.
Daily Mail Sport reported that Manchester City’s defence will argue that the commercial agreements were funded by the Abu Dhabi government rather than the club’s owner. That could conflict with a 2015 statement by sponsor Etihad to the United States departments of commerce, transportation and state, in which the airline said: “We are government-owned and have been since our founding.”
New Premier League rules require an appeal hearing within 12 weeks, with a decision due within 30 days. The hearing can last no more than five days, meaning any punishment could be imposed this season.
