Man City whistleblower to remain in witness protection
The computer hacker who released documents which helped trigger the Premier League investigation into Manchester City will remain under witness protection after authorities in Portugal suspend the decision to end it.
The hacker behind the Football Leaks operation, Portuguese computer expert Rui Pinto, will continue to receive protection as he testifies in a Premier League investigation, officials announced on Friday. The decision to suspend his protection had been reversed by the special security programmes commission, which had not adequately notified Pinto of the grounds for removal and did not provide him the chance to contest the decision.
Pinto, 37, exposed confidential football documents, including emails and financial records, in 2018 which led to the Premier League's investigation into Manchester City. He previously claimed the suspension would expose him to a life-threatening situation. City was found guilty of breaches of financial fair play rules and has appealed the decision.
Pinto entered Portugal's witness protection programme in 2020 after co-operating with authorities but was initially convicted of data theft and attempted extortion and given a four-year suspended sentence. The commission's initial decision has been criticized as a "manifest abuse of power."
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- Man City whistleblower to remain in witness protection sports.yahoo.com
- Man City whistleblower to remain in witness protection bbc.co.uk
