Portuguese authorities took 83 days to tell Rui Pinto his witness protection was ending

Commission concluded in July threat level was lowManchester City whistleblower given 10 days’ noticePortuguese authorities kept Rui Pinto in the dark for almost three months about their decision to end his status as a protected witness and notified the Manchester City whistleblower 10 days before it was due to expire, it can be revealed.According to documents seen by the Guardian, the special security programmes commission (CPES), which oversees Portugal’s witness protection programme, met on 8 and 9 July to discuss Pinto’s case. It concluded that the threat level against him was low and that the special protection measures were no longer warranted. Continue reading…

Portuguese authorities kept the Manchester City whistleblower Rui Pinto in the dark for almost three months about their decision to end his status as a protected witness Portuguese authorities kept Rui Pinto in the dark for almost three months about their decision to end his status as a protected witness and notified the Manchester City whistleblower 10 days before it was due to expire, it can be revealed. According to documents seen by the Guardian, the special security programmes commission (CPES), which oversees Portugal’s witness protection programme, met on 8 and 9 July to discuss Pinto’s case.

It concluded that the threat level against him was low and that the special protection measures were no longer warranted. Yet it was not until 30 September that Pinto, who has been a protected witness since 2020 after agreeing to grant Portuguese authorities access to millions of files gathered before his arrest, was informed of the decision – 83 days