The Portuguese computer hacker whose leaked documents triggered the Premier League’s investigation into Manchester City will remain under witness protection after officials suspended plans to withdraw his status.
Rui Pinto was slated to exit the programme on Saturday, a development he had warned could place him in a “life-threatening situation.” The 37-year-old disclosed confidential football records, including emails and financial data pertaining to the English club.
In 2018, Pinto shared these materials with the German publication Der Spiegel, which utilized them to investigate City’s finances and potential violations of financial fair play regulations. The club was recently found guilty of all charges related to breaches of Premier League financial rules spanning the 2009-10 to 2017-18 seasons, though they have filed an appeal against the verdict.
Pinto entered Portugal’s witness protection scheme in 2020 following an agreement to cooperate with authorities and provide intelligence from the Football Leaks operation. However, Portugal’s Ministry of Justice announced on Friday that the termination decision had been halted.
The ministry stated that the special security programmes commission failed to adequately notify Pinto of the grounds for termination or afford him the chance to contest the ruling. Pinto now has 10 days to review a risk assessment by the commission that rates the threat to his safety as low.
Following the announcement, Pinto took to X to thank Justice Minister Rita Alarcao Judice, asserting that the commission’s original decision violated the law and constituted an “manifest abuse of power.” Although Pinto identifies as a whistleblower, he was previously convicted in Portugal of charges including illegal data access and attempted extortion, receiving a four-year suspended sentence. He wore a bulletproof vest during his 2020 trial due to heightened security concerns. Earlier this year, he was acquitted of 241 counts involving illegal access to email accounts belonging to various sports bodies, such as Benfica.
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