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(CNN Español) — The Paraguayan justice granted this Monday the freedom to soccer star Ronaldo de Assis Moreira and his brother Roberto, who were detained for 5 months in Asunción for the use of false Paraguayan passports upon entering the country.
Both had been in preventive detention since March 4 and from April 7, they managed to obtain house arrest in a hotel in the capital.
The judge in the case granted the procedural exit to Ronaldinho and his brother Roberto in a preliminary hearing, after noting that the brothers “collaborated at all times with the investigation.” With the measure, both will be able to return to Brazil.
The magistrate accepted the conclusions of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which – after the investigation – held that Ronaldinho and his brother did not act in bad faith, since they “did not know” that the documents were false when they were presented to the Paraguayan authorities upon entering the country.
As a condition for this suspension of the procedure, Ronaldinho had to acknowledge the fact and make a donation of US $ 90,000, provide a real address and notify him if his phone number changes in case the authorities need to contact him.
Can they leave the country? Of course they can leave the country ”, said Judge Gustavo Amarilla, adding that they must agree with the local authorities for the corresponding authorizations for the pandemic protocols.
For his brother Roberto, it was decided to apply a two-year sentence, but suspending his execution if he meets certain obligations. You must donate the sum of US $ 110,000 plus the same rules of conduct as your brother. He is also obliged to appear every four months for two years before the court of his jurisdiction in Brazil.
The Prosecutor’s Office of Paraguay had spoken out at the beginning of August on the case, informing the courts that it had not detected elements that would prove that the former Brazilian soccer player Ronaldinho Gaúcho had participated directly in the planning and obtaining of the irregular documents with which he and his brother Roberto entered the country.
From the beginning, the defense of the Assis Moreira brothers maintained their innocence, arguing that the men did not know that they were false documents.
In a statement, the defense thanked the Paraguayans for “their continued display of affection” towards Ronaldihno.
The footballer’s lawyers had said that their client had traveled to Paraguay to support with his image a social assistance program for Paraguayan children.
The judge clarified that the donated money will be used to buy security elements to combat covid-19 in prisons and a hospital. A portion of the donation, US $ 30,000, will go to a campaign for a social cause called “Todos por Bianca”.
Ronaldhino had already posted a US $ 1,600,000 bond, so Judge Amarilla said that US $ 1,400,000 will be returned, discounting the amount to repair the social damage.
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