Whistleblower Fears for Safety After Witness Protection Revoked

Rui Pinto, the whistleblower whose leaked documents played a role in the Premier League's investigation into Manchester City's finances, has lost his witness protection status in Portugal. Pinto is seeking to raise over £2.55 million to relocate due to concerns for his safety.

Pinto, through his Football Leaks website, released thousands of confidential documents, including internal emails from Manchester City, which were the basis for reporting by Der Spiegel in 2018. These revelations prompted investigations by UEFA and the Premier League into the club's financial practices. The Premier League recently found the club guilty of numerous serious breaches of its financial regulations.

Since 2020, Pinto had been under witness protection in his native Portugal after agreeing to cooperate with authorities using information from his Football Leaks files. However, he was notified last Wednesday that his special security program would end on October 10. His lawyers stated that he was informed of the decision without being heard beforehand and will lose his protected residence, facing the prospect of finding new housing without guaranteed police protection.

Pinto's lawyers described his situation as critical, citing multiple threats and an assault he experienced in Lisbon last April. They argue that his cooperation with Portuguese justice warrants the continuation of his protection program and have urged the Ministry of Justice to reconsider its decision.

Facing what he terms 'state terrorism' from the Portuguese authorities, Pinto has launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund his urgent relocation to an undisclosed location. He cited 'multiple death threats and the serious risk of an assassination attempt' as reasons for the potential move. The campaign has raised over £14,000 in its initial stages.

In 2020, Pinto received a four-year suspended sentence after being found guilty by Portuguese courts of illegal data access and attempted extortion. He reportedly wore a bulletproof vest to his trial due to safety concerns.

Manchester City has denied allegations of using 'sham' contracts and disguising over £900 million in sponsorship payments. The club has launched an appeal against the Premier League's decision, asserting they possess 'irrefutable evidence' of their innocence. The club's defense may argue that commercial contracts were paid by the Abu Dhabi government, not the club's owner. This argument could potentially conflict with a 2015 statement made by Etihad, a key sponsor, to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Transportation, and State. In that statement, Etihad declared it was government-owned but did not receive subsidies, being financed through equity, shareholder, and commercial loans.