Football Leaks founder Rui Pinto stays in witness protection after Portugal ruling

Portuguese authorities reverse protection decision

Football Leaks founder Rui Pinto will remain in witness protection after Portuguese authorities halted plans to end his security program. The 37 year old was scheduled to lose his protection on Saturday.

Portugal's Ministry of Justice confirmed the change on Friday. The decision was overturned because Pinto was not properly informed of the reasons behind it or given a chance to challenge the ruling.

The ministry stated, "The protection program remains in effect until a new decision is adopted by the Special Security Programs Commission." Pinto now has 10 working days to respond to a risk assessment before any new decision is made.

Documents behind Manchester City investigation

Pinto released confidential emails and financial records by sharing documents with a German magazine. Those disclosures helped trigger a Premier League investigation into Manchester City.

City were recently found guilty of all charges concerning serious breaches of Premier League financial rules between the 2009 and 2018 seasons. The club has appealed against the verdict.

Pinto entered the witness protection program in 2020 after agreeing to cooperate with police. Following the latest ruling, he thanked Minister of Justice Rita Alarcão Júdice on social media while accusing the commission of acting unlawfully.

Ongoing safety threats and criminal record

Pinto had previously warned that ending his protection put his life at risk due to death threats. His lawyers also highlighted a physical assault that took place in Lisbon in April.

While Pinto calls himself a whistleblower, he received a four year suspended prison sentence in 2023 for illegal data access and attempted extortion. Earlier this year, he was cleared of 241 other charges related to hacking email accounts belonging to Portuguese sports organisations, including Benfica.