Man City Whistleblower Rui Pinto to Lose Witness Protection Amid Death Threats
Football Leaks founder Rui Pinto is set to lose his witness protection in Portugal on October 10, leaving him exposed to multiple death threats and a serious risk of assassination days after an independent commission found Manchester City guilty of financial rule breaches, nine.com.au reported.
Pinto Relocates as Witness Protection Expires
Pinto was placed in the Portuguese witness protection program in August 2020 after agreeing to cooperate with authorities and hand over millions of confidential files. That protection is set to expire on October 10 and the committee confirmed it will not be extended, according to nine.com.au. On Saturday morning, Pinto took to X to accuse Portuguese authorities of knowingly placing him in a life-threatening situation.
“Given these circumstances, I have no alternative but to relocate, within the next few days, to an undisclosed location for an indefinite period of time, due to the multiple death threats I have received and the serious risk of an assassination attempt against me,” Pinto wrote on X, as reported by nine.com.au. He added that he has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help him survive.
Pinto’s lawyers, Francisco and Luisa Teixeira da Mota, alongside his French representatives William Bourdon and Vincent Brengarth, released a joint statement noting that their client faces dire consequences and is now more vulnerable than at any time since 2020. Reuters noted that Pinto’s legal team stated he was assaulted in Lisbon last April, demonstrating that the threats against him are not merely theoretical.
Manchester City Appeals Verdict on Financial Charges
The expiration of Pinto’s protection arrives immediately after an independent commission delivered its verdict in the long-running Premier League financial case against Manchester City. According to news.com.au, the club was found guilty of 114 of 115 charges relating to breaches occurring between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. The Premier League stated that City used sham commercial contracts to inflate revenue and understate costs by more than £900 million over nearly a decade, Reuters reported.
Manchester City confirmed that the club will appeal the independent commission’s verdict, as detailed by The Guardian. While City pursue their appeal to avoid severe sanctions such as points deductions or expulsion from the league, Pinto’s defense team protested the termination of his security, accusing the Portuguese state of state terrorism, according to The Guardian.
Pinto Offers Cooperation to UK Authorities
Despite losing his status in Portugal, Pinto remains willing to cooperate with international authorities. The Guardian reported that the whistleblower is prepared to help authorities in the UK with their legal case in exchange for protection from threats. British authorities could decide to extend their inquiry following the Premier League’s findings.
Pinto’s potential contribution to UK authorities could extend beyond the Manchester City case, as French authorities previously copied the contents of all electronic devices in his possession between his arrest in Hungary in January 2019 and his extradition to Portugal, according to The Guardian. Those files can now be shared between countries through international cooperation. Meanwhile, more than €19,000 has been raised via crowdfunding to support Pinto’s relocation as he awaits his departure on October 10.
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