Constitutional Court rejects Public Prosecution appeal against Rui Pinto acquittal
The Constitutional Court has rejected the prosecution's appeal against the acquittal of Rui Pinto, founder of Football Leaks, finding that the Public Prosecution violated the defendant's right to a fair defence.
Constitutional Court rejects Public Prosecution appeal against Rui Pinto acquittal
The Constitutional Court decided not to uphold the appeal lodged by the Public Prosecution against the acquittal of Rui Pinto in the second trial. The decision is based on the conclusion that the prosecuting authority treated the creator of Football Leaks in a manner that violated his dignity and his procedural rights.
Rui Pinto had been cleared of 241 criminal charges, including 201 for qualified unauthorised access. The innocent verdict, delivered in the second trial, was contested by the Public Prosecution, which appealed to the constitutional jurisdiction body.
The constitutional judges considered, however, that the practices adopted by the prosecution during the proceedings infringed fundamental guarantees of the defendant. The court's understanding points to irregularities in the way the proceedings were conducted, which compromised the right to a fair trial.
The Rui Pinto case became known internationally owing to the disclosure of confidential documents related to world football through the Football Leaks platform. The revelations involved clubs, players and sporting entities from various countries.
Source: RTP
Source: RTP