Portuguese authorities suspend termination of Rui Pinto’s witness protection
Rui Pinto will remain under witness protection in Portugal after authorities suspended a decision to end his protection on 9 October 2026, the special security programmes commission (CPES) said, acknowledging he should have been allowed to present his case and permitting him to challenge the withdrawal.
In a statement signed by the Ministry of Justice, the CPES accepted 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. The protection had been due to end on Saturday, and the commission said it would provide Pinto with the risk assessment reports that it says indicated a low threat to his safety. The CPES identified a relevant meeting on 9 July in its review of the decision.
Pinto was notified on 30 September that his protected-witness status was coming to an end; that same day an independent commission’s guilty verdict against Manchester City, confirmed 24 hours earlier, was dominating headlines around the world. The timing of the notification coincided with intense media coverage of the City verdict.
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 after being assaulted in Lisbon last April.
His 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.
Pinto’s disclosures have informed investigations by judicial, tax and sporting authorities across Europe, including the Premier League’s inquiry into City. His lawyers argue that authorities must take his cooperation with the justice system and the risks associated with his revelations into account before withdrawing protection; Pinto remains willing to cooperate with British authorities investigating City and other matters arising from his disclosures, and he also handed millions of documents to investigators in France, which can now be shared with other countries, including the UK.
The CPES has said Pinto can challenge the withdrawal of his protection and is expected to reconsider the matter; he has 10 working days to review the documentation underpinning the decision and to respond to its reasoning and conclusions.
