Rui Pinto, the Portuguese hacker behind the Premier League investigation into Manchester City, will remain in Portugal’s witness protection programme after authorities suspended a decision to end his protection. The special security programmes commission had planned to remove Pinto from the programme on Saturday, but the Ministry of Justice reversed that move, citing procedural flaws in how Pinto was notified and the opportunity he was given to challenge the decision.
Pinto, 37, became known after leaking confidential football documents, including emails and financial records related to Manchester City. In 2018, he shared material with the German magazine Der Spiegel, which used the documents to investigate City’s finances and alleged breaches of financial fair play regulations. Manchester City were recently found guilty of all charges related to breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules from the 2009-10 to 2017-18 seasons. The club has appealed the ruling.
The hacker joined Portugal’s witness protection programme in 2020 after agreeing to cooperate with authorities and provide information from his Football Leaks operation. Pinto had previously described the programme as putting him in a “life-threatening situation” and was due to leave it this weekend. The Ministry of Justice’s statement said the special security programmes commission had not adequately informed Pinto of the grounds for ending his protection or given him a chance to respond.
Pinto will now have 10 days to review a risk assessment by the commission, which currently rates the threat to his safety as low. On social media platform X, Pinto thanked Portugal’s Minister of Justice, Rita Alarcao Judice, and accused the commission’s initial decision of violating the law and being a “manifest abuse of power”.
Known as the founder of Football Leaks, Pinto has been both condemned and cleared in Portugal’s courts. He was convicted of illegal access to data and attempted extortion, receiving a four-year suspended sentence. At his first trial in 2020, he wore a bulletproof vest amid heightened security measures. Earlier this year, Pinto was acquitted of 241 counts of illegally accessing email accounts linked to Portuguese sports organisations, including Benfica.
The revelations Pinto provided have had a significant impact on football governance, sparking investigations into Premier League clubs and financial fair play compliance. Manchester City’s recent punishment by the league followed the evidence that Pinto helped uncover. Despite this, the club insists its titles are “absolutely not” tainted, as stated by club officials including manager Pep Guardiola and sporting director Txiki Begiristain after the verdict.
Pinto remains a controversial figure, simultaneously viewed as a whistleblower and a criminal. His ongoing protection status reflects the complex nature of his case and the security concerns it raises. The Portuguese Ministry of Justice’s intervention has delayed the planned end of Pinto’s witness protection, leaving his future uncertain as he awaits the outcome of the risk assessment.
According to BBC Sports.