Rui Pinto to remain under witness protection after U-turn by Portuguese authorities

Rui Pinto will remain under witness protection for the time being after Portuguese authorities suspended the decision to end it. The special security programmes commission (CPES) acknowledged he should have been given an opportunity to present his case before the decision was taken. The Manchester City whistleblower can now challenge the withdrawal of his protection, with the commission expected to reconsider the matter.

In a statement signed by the Ministry of Justice, the CPES was said to have recognised that Pinto had not been adequately informed of the grounds for terminating the programme or given the opportunity to exercise his right to challenge the decision.

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The protection was due to end on Saturday. The commission will provide Pinto with the risk assessment reports that it says indicated a low threat to his safety. The relevant meeting took place on 9 July. On 30 September, the day Pinto was informed his protected-witness status was coming to an end, an independent commission’s guilty verdict against City, which had been confirmed 24 hours earlier, was dominating headlines around the world.

He has 10 working days to review the documentation underpinning the decision and respond to its reasoning and conclusions. The prospect of losing his protection had prompted Pinto to launch a fundraising campaign to help secure his financial future. He has voiced fears for his safety after receiving credible death threats and being assaulted in Lisbon last April.

Pinto expressed satisfaction with the decision by Portugal’s minister of justice, Rita Alarcão Júdice, to overturn the CPES ruling. In a statement published on social media, the whistleblower said the commission’s initial decision had clearly violated the law and amounted to a “manifest abuse of power”.

Although he believes the minister’s decision has restored legality, Pinto says he has lost confidence in the commission’s members, arguing that their conduct undermines the principles of impartiality, legality and trust that are essential to the functioning of a witness protection programme.

Pinto’s protected-witness status dates to April 2020, when Portugal’s judicial police (PJ) placed him under protection after he agreed to give investigators access to millions of files obtained from football clubs, companies linked to the Angolan businesswoman Isabel dos Santos and other entities suspected of criminal activity. Dos Santos denies corruption allegations.

His disclosures have informed investigations by judicial, tax and sporting authorities across Europe, including the Premier League’s inquiry into City. Pinto’s lawyers argue the authorities must consider his cooperation with the justice system and the risks associated with his revelations before withdrawing his protection.

Growing scrutiny appears to have prompted the authorities to reconsider their position. Pinto remains willing to cooperate with British authorities investigating City and other matters arising from his disclosures. He also handed millions of documents to investigators in France, which can now be shared with other countries, including the UK.