Rui Pinto’s lawyers condemn end of protection programme | OneFootball

Rui Pinto’s lawyers have condemned the termination of the special protection programme he has been receiving, according to L'Équipe. Pinto, the hacker behind Football Leaks, helped reveal financial breaches alleged against Manchester City.

His representatives say that within days, and without the prior hearing required by law, he would lose his protected and confidential housing. They add he would be forced to find urgent new accommodation, with no guarantee that police protection would continue.

They describe the move as one with dramatic consequences, noting that the threats to him are real after he was assaulted in Lisbon in April last year. They also argue his disclosures challenged powerful figures and that many related court cases are still active.

In September 2023 he received a four-year suspended sentence for multiple computer offences and attempted extortion against a sports investment fund. In April he was acquitted of all charges in a second case before the Portuguese courts.

Pinto was arrested in January 2019 in Hungary, where he lived, then extradited to Portugal. He spent more than a year in pre-trial detention before agreeing to cooperate with investigators by granting access to encrypted data in his possession.

Source: L'Équipe

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