Man City whistleblower set to lose protection amid fears for life

What the report says

Portuguese hacker Rui Pinto, the founder of Football Leaks, says he is set to lose his protection under Portugal’s witness programme, a move he says leaves him at serious risk. The BBC reports that Pinto, who shared confidential football records that helped trigger scrutiny of Manchester City’s finances, posted that his participation is due to end on 10 October and that he fears threats to his life.

According to the BBC, Pinto began cooperating with Portuguese authorities in 2020 after providing files from the Football Leaks archive. Those materials included emails and financial documents relating to City, and were used by German magazine Der Spiegel in reporting on alleged financial fair play breaches. Last week, City were found guilty of all charges relating to Premier League financial regulations covering the 2009-10 to 2017-18 seasons, although the club has appealed.

Pinto said he now faces relocation to an undisclosed place for an indefinite period because of what he described as multiple death threats and the possibility of an assassination attempt. The BBC notes that he has previously been convicted in Portugal on charges including illegal access to data and attempted extortion, and that he has also faced other legal proceedings over his hacking activities.

The case matters because Pinto’s disclosures have fed major football finance investigations in Europe, including the ongoing Manchester City matter. The BBC said it had approached Portugal’s Commission for the Protection of Victims of Crimes for comment.