Rui Pinto Acquitted in Second Trial for Football Leaks Hacking
Football Leaks hacker Rui Pinto acquitted of 241 counts in second Portuguese trial
The Guardian
Image: The Guardian
Rui Pinto, the hacker responsible for the Football Leaks revelations, was acquitted of 241 charges in Portugal related to illegal email access. The court ruled the charges invalid due to a prior conviction on similar offenses. Pinto had previously exposed significant financial misconduct in football, including revelations about high-profile players.
- 01Rui Pinto was acquitted of 241 charges in his second trial in Portugal.
- 02The court deemed the charges invalid due to a previous conviction for similar offenses.
- 03Pinto's leaks revealed major financial misconduct in football, impacting high-profile players.
- 04He has cooperated with European authorities and has dual status as a defendant and protected witness.
- 05Pinto previously faced a four-year suspended sentence for cybercrimes and extortion.
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Rui Pinto, a 37-year-old hacker known for the Football Leaks disclosures, was acquitted on Wednesday of 241 charges in a second trial in Portugal. The court ruled the charges invalid, citing a prior conviction from September 2023 for similar offenses, where he received a four-year suspended sentence. Pinto had been accused of illegally accessing email accounts of various Portuguese sports organizations, including the football club Benfica, law firms, and the tax authority. The court highlighted that the prosecution violated Pinto's rights, describing the proceedings as 'procedural violence'. Pinto gained notoriety for leaking 18.6 million documents from 2015 to 2018, which exposed financial dealings in football, including contracts of stars like Lionel Messi and Neymar, and a dismissed rape allegation against Cristiano Ronaldo. His legal troubles began in January 2019 when he was arrested in Hungary, leading to over a year in pre-trial detention. He has also faced legal consequences in France for hacking related to Paris Saint-Germain executives.
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Pinto's acquittal may influence future cases involving cybercrimes and whistleblowers in Portugal, potentially affecting how similar cases are prosecuted.
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