Rui Pinto, whose disclosures contributed to the Premier League’s inquiry into Manchester City’s finances, is reportedly willing to assist UK authorities with any legal proceedings if he receives protection from potential threats.
Although a crowdfunding campaign was launched on Friday to help him begin a new life after leaving Portuguese police protection, the whistleblower’s main objective is still to cooperate with investigators, provided suitable security measures are guaranteed.
Beyond the sporting consequences of the Premier League’s case against City, British authorities may choose to broaden the investigation. Portuguese officials have already taken similar action regarding some of the material released by Pinto. An independent commission found City responsible for more than 100 breaches involving allegedly false contracts used to inflate revenue by £900m. The inquiry began after Pinto disclosed thousands of confidential records.
City announced on Friday that the club intends to challenge the tribunal’s decision.
Because of his extensive understanding of the records, people and businesses connected to the case, along with access to material that investigators may have missed, Pinto is said to be ready to continue serving as a protected witness in another country.
Shortly before his arrest in Budapest in January 2019, the 37-year-old Portuguese citizen was discussing the possibility of joining a French witness protection scheme. Those negotiations ended following intervention by the Portuguese authorities.
If Pinto’s protected-witness status in Portugal is officially withdrawn, he will be able to work with foreign authorities from 10 October. He has previously provided occasional assistance to officials in France, Germany and Belgium, and the UK could also seek his cooperation.
Pinto’s possible assistance to British investigators may cover far more than the controversy surrounding City. The hundreds of millions of documents collected through Football Leaks and Luanda Leaks are not held exclusively by the Portuguese authorities.
After his detention in Hungary but before his extradition to Portugal, French investigators visited Budapest and copied the data stored on every electronic device in Pinto’s possession. Following a second Portuguese trial in April this year, he was cleared of 241 charges.
Through international agreements between countries with bilateral relations, including the UK, the files may now be exchanged across borders.
Pinto is currently waiting for clarity about his future. His defence team objected to the withdrawal of his protection and described Portugal’s conduct as “state terrorism”. His lawyers said they had challenged the decision and requested details about how the security risk was evaluated, but had not received an answer.
Pinto says he plans to leave Portugal and relocate to an undisclosed destination. At the time of publication, a crowdfunding appeal had collected more than €19,000 (£16,530).
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