Rui Pinto given 10 days’ notice as Portugal moves to end witness protection

Rui Pinto was told his Portuguese witness protection would end just 10 days before its scheduled expiry, despite the decision having been made almost three months earlier, the Guardian reported on Wednesday. The disclosure concerns the whistleblower whose material has been used in investigations into football finances, including the Premier League’s case involving Manchester City.

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According to documents examined by the newspaper, Portugal’s special security programmes commission, known as CPES, discussed Pinto’s situation at meetings on 8 and 9 July. It assessed the threat against him as low and decided that special protective measures were no longer justified. Pinto was not notified until 30 September, an interval the Guardian put at 83 days after the decision.

Pinto has been in the protection programme since 2020, having agreed to give Portuguese authorities access to millions of files collected before his arrest. His disclosures have since been used by judicial, tax and sporting bodies across Europe. The Guardian reported that the short notice left him needing to arrange safe accommodation and financial support in a new location while avoiding contact with relatives.

His lawyers dispute the withdrawal and say his cooperation with investigators and the risks linked to his disclosures should be considered. Lawyer Francisco Teixeira da Mota told the Guardian that an appeal would be lodged this week. He also challenged the procedure, saying Pinto had not been heard before the decision was taken. The Guardian said CPES had not answered its questions about the risk assessment or the delay in notification.

Portugal’s justice minister, Rita Alarcão Júdice, said last Saturday that the authorities would review the case and respond by the coming Saturday, when protection is due to expire. She said requests were being examined carefully and that any irregularity or mishandled procedure would be taken into account. That review does not yet establish whether protection will continue.

The Guardian also reported that Pinto remains willing to assist British authorities with the City case and other investigations arising from his findings. He has provided millions of documents to French investigators that can be shared internationally, including with the UK. For now, the withdrawal remains under challenge, with a ministerial response promised before the scheduled end of protection.