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The German magazine Der Spiegel interviewed Rui Pinto on August 21 and 22, in Lisbon, in which it is the first time that the author of Football Leaks has spoken publicly after having finished pre-trial detention. HE Quick, Partner of Spiegel in the EIC – European Investigative Collaborations consortium, publishes the second part of this interview, in which Rui Pinto talks not only about the trial, but also about the impact of his revelations, both in Football Leaks and Luanda Leaks.
Rui, the test will begin in the next few days. He only got out of house arrest a month ago. What was the first thing you did?
The first thing I did was call my family and my girlfriend to break the news that I was a free man.
What was the first website you opened after being banned from the Internet for months?
When I was finally able to access the internet, I started by opening my Twitter page.
Now he is preparing for trial. What is your position at the sports marketing company Doyen, who files a complaint in the process?
What dean? Doyen Group, Doyen Capital, Doyen Sports? To this day, I still don’t know what Doyen we are talking about. Because the complaint was that there was illegal access to their corporate system in London, and they refer to the Doyen Group. But what is the Doyen Group? What is the connection between companies? There is no connection. And the complainant, the victim, is Doyen Sports. But this company has no connection to London’s Doyen Capital.
Prosecutors claim that Doyen Sports, although registered in Malta, had its technology infrastructure in London. It was where the alleged pirate attack took place. Why can’t Doyen Sports act as a plaintiff?
According to the documents available in the file, the owner of the computer system was Doyen Capital, there is no doubt. Furthermore, Doyen Sports had no physical presence in London. And it did not even have a business relationship with the entity affected by the alleged cyberattacks referred to in the indictment. It is clear from the start that there was a forced attempt to legitimize Doyen Sports’ intervention in the process.
Was it Rui who illegally broke into Doyen’s servers in London?
This will also be discussed in court. I keep my position: I don’t consider myself hacker. Football Leaks is a collective so I have to be careful what I say.
It maintains that a hacker can be one whistleblower (complainant)?
Absolutely. Whoever seeks, receives and analyzes information on relevant crimes such as corruption and tax fraud and decides to share it with the international media or directly with the authorities should be considered an asset. whistleblower. Take the Panama Papers as an example. Today most people have forgotten that it was an act of to hack (to hack).
Rui Pinto was interviewed by Der Spiegel in Lisbon.
Sonja Och / The Mirror
How did you follow the reactions when it came to the public who was the whistleblower behind Luanda Leaks?
He was still detained. People told me that he was a brave man and that I should be careful because Isabel dos Santos is very powerful and seeks revenge. The prison guards also said that I did the right thing and that I was the only one with the courage to finally expose such people.
Do you think something has changed in public opinion about you with Luanda Leaks?
There was a change in the press about me: some journalists who always called me a pirate or hacker or computer spy now call me whistleblower. Before, everyone treated Football Leaks as a silly war between football clubs. But when Luanda Leaks appeared, everyone realized that there was much more to it than that. Even the prosecutors realized that this was bigger than they expected. This project ended up helping me finally get out of jail.
It is more rewarding to share this information. [Luanda Leaks] to attack the world of football?
Sometimes I get a little sad that Football Leaks did not achieve everything I expected at the beginning. For whistleblowers, the world of soccer is not the easiest place to enter. I think Football Leaks was one of the most dangerous leaks. Whistleblowers in soccer are in much greater danger than those in other businesses, such as the Panama Papers or LuxLeaks.
Why do you think that?
Front companies and tax evaders have considerably fewer followers than football clubs. Football lives on the enthusiasm and emotions of the fans. If we discover any deception in this area, we will soon win many enemies.
He has been accused of being responsible for the disclosure of Benfica documents [Mercado de Benfica], which is probably the most influential club in Portugal. Benfica is now critical of their collaboration with the authorities. What do you think about that?
The collaboration was carried out completely legally. If they are not happy with it, it is their problem. They think they dominate the country. But it’s over, because people are starting to open their eyes.
What do you mean when you say that Benfica dominates the country?
This club is like an octopus of influence. There is a very important detail that I want the public to think about. At the same time that the Portuguese authorities were sending a request to the Hungarian authorities to extend my European arrest warrant, the Hungarian Foreign Minister received two VIP tickets for Benfica matches and met at the Benfica stadium. This is Benfica.
Wasn’t it just a coincidence?
Not in my opinion. After the Benfica emails were published, everyone began to realize that their coaches’ modus operandi was to extend their influence, often out of courtesy, to achieve their goals. Benfica was one of the most interested in extending the European arrest warrant. To Péter Szijjártó [ministro dos Negócios Estrangeiros] common sense was lacking, and as the saying goes “Caesar’s wife is not enough, you have to appear”. There will always be a cloud of suspicion about the extension of the European arrest warrant.
His complaints have shaken confidence in most football organizations and big clubs. Will this mistrust be repairable?
How can we believe that soccer institutions will work in the best interest of the sport? I have the feeling that UEFA has sabotaged the investigations against Paris Saint-Germain fair play financial. Powerful clubs can get away from it all if they have the right way to influence. Soccer clearly loses its identity and characteristics if billionaires inject money into some clubs and thus get them to win international competitions. Soccer shouldn’t be this.
Have no hope?
I am hopeful because there are some results. The Swiss attorney general recently resigned due to meetings with Gianni Infantino. A few years ago, no one thought it was possible. But look at FIFA’s statement: FIFA’s ethics committee has declared that FIFA has not committed any crime. It’s ridiculous.
What is your perspective on the trial?
It will be something like David against Goliath, because we will be my lawyers and I against the powerful and dark interests of Portuguese society. Some of the lawyers on the other side represent people suspected of corruption and money laundering in other cases, so naturally they see me as a threat.
His attorney William Bourdon said he will plead not guilty before the judge. It is true?
I hope to be acquitted, because I am a complainant and I acted in good faith. I acted in the public interest, to show what was wrong, not only in football but also in other areas.
It seems to be driven by the desire to reveal crimes and injustices. Can you imagine working for the Portuguese authorities after the trial is over?
I never thought about that. First I want to resolve my legal situation and be acquitted. But in the abstract I can say that I want my work to have a purpose. I want a real change.
