11 September 2023 at 17:29 Reuters: “Football Leaks” hacker Rui Pinto sentenced to four years’ probation The Portuguese Rui Pinto was behind the massive document leak Football Leaks. On Monday, he was sentenced to four years’ probation after a lengthy trial. That was the outcome in the Portuguese criminal case that started in September 2020, reports Reuters. Pinto was accused of being a criminal hacker, and the indictment consisted of 89 counts. They dealt with points such as data sabotage, unlawful access to documents and attempted blackmail. In 2015, Pinto obtained millions of documents that suggested corruption and financial cheating in European football. The Portuguese published them online under the name “Football Leaks”. Pinto has stated that he sees himself as a whistleblower. He wanted to reveal the true essence of the football industry. – I never did any of this for money, he said in court three years ago. As a result of “Football Leaks”, the German newspaper Der Spiegel, Norwegian VG and several other European media published a number of cases based on the material Pinto had obtained. The cases were about everything from shady dealings to fraud, tax evasion and corruption among clubs, players and coaches. The media reports led to police investigations in several countries, including Great Britain and France. (NTB)
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