Rui Pinto, the hacker who released documents related to Manchester City, is expressing fears for his safety as his participation in Portugal's witness protection program is set to end on October 10. Pinto entered the program in 2020 after agreeing to cooperate with authorities and provide evidence obtained through his Football Leaks operation.
Read More
On Friday, he announced on social media that the termination of his protection has placed him in a "life-threatening situation," prompting him to relocate to an undisclosed location indefinitely due to "multiple death threats" and the "serious risk of an assassination attempt."
BBC Sport has reached out to the Commission for the Protection of Victims of Crimes in Portugal for comments regarding his situation. Although Pinto identifies as a whistleblower, he has a criminal record in Portugal, having been convicted of offenses such as illegal access to data and attempted extortion, resulting in a four-year suspended sentence. During his first trial in 2020, he was observed wearing a bulletproof vest due to heightened security concerns.
Earlier this year, Pinto was acquitted in a separate trial of 241 counts related to illegally accessing email accounts from various Portuguese sports organizations, including Benfica. Recently, he has directed criticisms at FIFA president Gianni Infantino, calling him a "cancer on football" and stating that he should not have a place in the sport's future. Pinto reiterated previous allegations that Infantino intervened in favor of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain to evade financial fair play sanctions imposed by UEFA.
Pinto's legal troubles continue as proceedings related to the leaks are still ongoing, including a case against Manchester City. He has also created a fundraising page to assist him in what he describes as a "serious situation" that was allegedly created by the Portuguese State.