Rui Pinto Returned to Witness Protection After Portugal Reverses Security Cut

Football Leaks founder Rui Pinto has been restored to Portugal’s witness protection programme after the Justice Ministry overturned the decision to remove his security cover.

The 37-year-old had been under state protection since 2020 but said the sudden withdrawal left him fearing for his life after repeated death threats. Portugal’s Ministry of Justice ruled that Pinto had not been properly told why his protection was being ended and had not been given an opportunity to challenge the decision.

Protection decision reversed

1. Pinto’s witness protection status was withdrawn, ending security measures he had held for six years.
2. He publicly launched a €2.5m (£2.1m) fundraising drive to finance his own protection and said he would have to move within days to an undisclosed location for an open-ended period.
3. In his warning, Pinto said the threats against him created a serious danger of an attempt on his life.
4. The Ministry of Justice intervened and reinstated him, finding procedural failures in the original decision.
5. Pinto now has 10 working days to examine the initial removal order, with his legal team set to assess the commission’s stated grounds.

Pinto attacks protection commission

Pinto thanked Justice Minister Rita Alarcao Judice for reversing the ruling, saying she had restored legality. But he accused members of the commission overseeing Portugal’s witness protection scheme of acting unlawfully and abusing their authority.

He said the episode was especially grave because officials responsible for the programme carry a heightened duty to defend the rights and safety of people placed in a vulnerable position by their participation in it.

Despite the return of his state security, Pinto said he could no longer trust the commission or feel secure about its work. He argued that a protection programme can only operate credibly when it is lawful, impartial and trusted by those relying on it.

He also thanked supporters who contributed to the security fundraising campaign, while stressing that the wider case over his long-term safety remains unresolved.

Football Leaks impact

Pinto created the Football Leaks platform, whose disclosures were instrumental in the Premier League bringing 115 alleged financial-rule breaches against Manchester City. City have since been found guilty of 114 charges, with sanctions still possible if an appeal fails.

Pinto will remain dependent on the state security arrangements for now, but his public response underlined that he sees the fight over his protection as far from finished.