Rui Pinto, hacker behind Man City leaks, fears for his life as witness protection ends

Rui Pinto, the Portuguese computer hacker whose leaked documents helped trigger the Premier League investigation into Manchester City, is set to lose his witness protection despite fears he could be assassinated, BBC Sport reports.

The Football Leaks founder released confidential football documents, including emails and financial records relating to the English side. In 2018, he shared documents with German magazine Der Spiegel, which used them for investigations into City’s finances and alleged breaches of financial fair play rules. Last week, City were found guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons, which they have appealed.

Pinto joined Portugal’s witness protection programme in 2020 after agreeing to co-operate with authorities. The 37-year-old posted on X on Friday that the decision to terminate his participation on 10 October has put him in a “life-threatening situation”. He said it left him with no alternative but to relocate to an undisclosed location for an indefinite period because of “multiple death threats” and “the serious risk of an assassination attempt”. BBC Sport has approached the Commission for the Protection of Victims of Crimes in Portugal for comment.

Pinto has described himself as a whistleblower, but was convicted in Portugal of offences including illegal access to data and attempted extortion and given a four-year suspended sentence. Earlier this year, he was acquitted in a second trial of 241 counts of illegally accessing email accounts belonging to sports bodies in Portugal, including Benfica. A statement from his lawyers said the decision left him at heightened risk, noting legal proceedings stemming from the leaks remained ongoing, including the case against Manchester City.