Rui Pinto, the Portuguese whistleblower whose leaked information helped trigger the Premier League investigation into Manchester City’s financial affairs, is reportedly ready to assist UK authorities with the case.
According to The Guardian, Pinto is willing to provide information about companies, documents and individuals connected to the investigation in exchange for protection.
The 37-year-old was previously placed under witness protection in Portugal after cooperating with the country’s justice authorities. However, the Portuguese witness protection programme has decided to end his participation and withdraw his police protection.
Pinto says he fears for his safety and has received multiple death threats. He has said he plans to leave Portugal and move to an undisclosed location.
He has also launched a GoFundMe campaign to help support his relocation and security.
Pinto became widely known through the Football Leaks project, which involved hundreds of millions of files relating to football clubs, organisations and individuals.
His information later became linked to the Premier League’s investigation into Manchester City’s financial affairs. Manchester City were found guilty of 114 of 115 alleged financial breaches by an independent Premier League commission.
However, Manchester City have appealed the verdict and continue to deny the accusations. The club has argued that the commission’s decision contains errors of law, principle and fact.
The appeal process is ongoing, meaning the final outcome of the Manchester City case has not yet been determined.