Portuguese authorities have suspended plans to remove Rui Pinto, the hacker whose leaked football documents helped prompt an investigation into Manchester City, from the country’s witness protection programme.
The decision was reversed on Friday, a day before Pinto was due to leave the programme, following concerns that he had not been properly informed of the grounds for ending his protection or given an opportunity to contest the move.
Portugal’s Ministry of Justice said the commission overseeing special security programmes had failed to follow the required procedure in handling the decision.
Pinto, 37, had previously warned that his removal from the programme would put him in a “life-threatening situation”.
The founder of Football Leaks came to international attention after disclosing confidential documents, including emails and financial records, relating to major football clubs.
In 2018, he supplied documents to German publication Der Spiegel, which investigated Manchester City’s finances and allegations that the club had breached financial fair play regulations.
Manchester City have appealed a ruling finding them guilty of charges relating to financial regulation breaches between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.
Pinto was admitted to Portugal’s witness protection programme in 2020 after agreeing to cooperate with authorities and provide information gathered through his Football Leaks operation.
Under the latest decision, he will have 10 days to examine a security assessment by the commission, which reportedly concluded that the threat to his safety was low.
Pinto welcomed the suspension in a post on X, thanking Justice Minister Rita Alarcão Judice. He also criticised the original decision, alleging that it violated the law and amounted to a “manifest abuse of power”.
Despite describing himself as a whistleblower, Pinto has faced criminal proceedings over his activities. He was convicted in Portugal of offences including illegal access to data and attempted extortion and received a four-year suspended sentence.
The suspension means Pinto will remain under protection while the review process continues.
