Rui Pinto, the whistleblower whose leaked documents prompted the Premier League’s investigation into Manchester City’s financial affairs, is prepared to assist UK authorities if he is given adequate protection, according to The Guardian.
Pinto is willing to provide information relevant to legal cases in the UK in return for security against potential threats. Despite a crowdfunding campaign launched on Friday to support his new life after leaving Portuguese police protection, cooperation with authorities remains his priority if suitable arrangements can be made.
The Premier League’s case against Manchester City could lead to sporting consequences, while UK authorities may also choose to widen their own investigation. Portuguese authorities have already expanded their work in relation to some of the documents disclosed by Pinto.
An independent commission found Manchester City guilty of more than 100 charges and concluded that the club had artificially inflated revenue by £900m through “fictitious” contracts. The investigation was sparked by thousands of private documents leaked by Pinto.
Manchester City confirmed on Friday that it would appeal the ruling.
Pinto has detailed knowledge of the documents, people and companies involved. He also holds material that may not have been considered during the investigation and is willing to continue working as a protected witness in another country.
In January 2019, shortly before his arrest in Budapest, Pinto was negotiating entry into France’s witness protection programme. The move was stopped by Portuguese authorities.
If it is confirmed that Pinto is no longer protected in Portugal, he will be able to co-operate with authorities in other countries from 10 October. He has previously provided assistance intermittently to authorities in France, Germany and Belgium, and the UK could become the latest country to seek his help.
The potential assistance extends beyond the Manchester City case. Pinto collected hundreds of millions of documents as part of the Football Leaks and Luanda Leaks investigations, and those files are not held exclusively by Portuguese authorities.
While Pinto was in Hungary awaiting extradition to Portugal after his arrest, French authorities travelled to Budapest and copied the contents of all the electronic devices in his possession.
In April this year, Pinto was acquitted of 241 charges at his second trial in Portugal. The documents can now be shared through international co-operation between countries with bilateral relations, including the UK.
Pinto is awaiting a decision about his future. His defence team has challenged the ending of his protection, accusing Portugal of carrying out “state terrorism”. His lawyers say they have appealed and asked for details of how the risk assessment was conducted, but have not received a response.
The hacker has said he wants to leave Portugal for an undisclosed location. By the time of publication, the crowdfunding campaign had raised more than €19,000 (£16,530).
