Rui Pinto, who leaked the documents that led to the Premier League probe into Manchester City, is willing to co-operate with UK authorities if he is given protection, The Guardian reports.
Pinto is now looking to leave Portugal following the decision to end police protection in Portugal, citing fears for his safety. His main focus is to continue assisting police and remaining a protected witness if adequate security can be guaranteed.
The 37-year-old’s data was key to the Premier League’s case into City’s finances. An independent commission found the club guilty of over 100 breaches of financial rules last week, including the use of “sham” contracts to inflate revenue.
City have announced they will appeal the decision.
Pinto knows the files, the individuals and the companies involved in the investigation, and some additional material may not have been completely searched by the authorities.
He could be released to work with UK authorities as of October 10 if the Portuguese status is terminated. Previously, he has provided information to the police in France, Germany and Belgium.
2.2QIn addition, he has Football Leaks and Luanda Leaks content on him. French police replicated the contents of his phone and computer in 2019, which means that the information may be shared overseas.
His lawyers have brought a case against the decision to lift his protection and a crowdfunding campaign has attracted more than 19,000 to enable him to escape to an undisclosed location.
