Rui Pinto's lawyers file emergency appeal to restore protection after Man City verdict

Rui Pinto’s legal team has launched an emergency appeal against a Portuguese government decision to remove the whistleblower’s protected residence and potentially his police protection, with the deadline for losing that security set for 10 October — just days after Manchester City were found guilty of more than 100 Premier League financial rule breaches.

Pinto, 37, has been enrolled in a special security programme since August 2020 after leaking documents that triggered investigations into Manchester City over UEFA Financial Fair Play regulations and contributed to the Premier League charges against the club. His four lawyers — Francisco Teixeira da Mota, Luisa Teixeira da Mota, Vincent Brengarth and William Bourdon — issued a press release urging Portuguese authorities to reverse the ruling, warning that their client’s situation is now critical.

“His revelations implicated powerful figures with vast resources, and many resulting legal proceedings are still ongoing, as evidenced by the decision handed down just days ago by the Premier League’s independent commission regarding Manchester City,” the lawyers said in a joint statement.

The legal team highlighted that Pinto was physically assaulted in Lisbon last April, arguing the threats against him are far from theoretical. They contend that stripping him of housing and protection at this moment would leave him “more vulnerable now than at any time since 2020.”

The lawyers confirmed they contacted Portugal’s Ministry of Justice the previous Wednesday, requesting that authorities reconsider the decision, disclose the details of the risk reassessment it was based on, and guarantee the continuity of protection. No response had been received at the time of the press release.

“This decision and the way it was made, regrettably, doesn’t respect the rule of law and constitutes an act of state terrorism. We can’t accept that,” the statement read.

The appeal has been filed with suspensive effect, meaning it is intended to pause the removal of protection while the case is reviewed. Pinto’s lawyers argued that the states which benefited from his disclosures — which were used by judicial, tax, and sports authorities across Europe — cannot abandon the person who took the personal risk to expose the information.

The timing adds a sharp dimension to the fallout from the Premier League’s landmark ruling against Manchester City, with the case that Pinto’s leaked documents helped set in motion still generating significant legal and political consequences.