Football Leaks. Session with statements by Rui Pinto postponed due to request for removal from the prosecutor

The Friday session of the trial of the Football Leaks case, for which Rui Pinto was expected to give statements, was postponed due to the request for removal of the prosecutor from the Public Ministry by the defendant Aníbal Pinto.

The information was released late on Tuesday night by the newspaper Expresso and confirmed to the Lusa agency by a source linked to the process, who added that the hearing that was scheduled for the 16th (Monday) at the Central Criminal Court had also been postponed. Lisbon, where the trial has been taking place since September 2020.

At issue is an email submitted to the court by the Judiciary Police (PJ) inspector Aida Freitas in the last session, on April 22, in which the inspector coordinating the investigation of the “Football Leaks” case, José Amador, summoned colleagues who would be heard at a hearing for a meeting with prosecutor Marta Viegas, who has represented the Public Ministry at the trial stage.

As a result, lawyer Aníbal Pinto, also accused in this case for the crime of attempted extortion, presented an incident of refusal by the magistrate, something that will now have to be appreciated.

Rui Pinto, 33, is responsible for a total of 90 crimes: 68 of improper access, 14 of violation of correspondence, six of illegitimate access, targeting entities such as Sporting, Doyen, the PLMJ law firm, the Portuguese Federation of Football (FPF) and the Attorney General’s Office (PGR), and also for computer sabotage of Sporting’s SAD and for extortion, in the attempted form. This last crime concerns Doyen and was what also led to the indictment of lawyer Aníbal Pinto.

The creator of Football Leaks has been free since August 7, 2020, “due to his collaboration” with the Judiciary Police and his “critical sense”, but is, for security reasons, included in the witness protection program. in an undisclosed location and under police protection. .