Sourced fact
The News
Portuguese authorities confirmed that they will continue providing security protection to whistleblower Roy Benito, who created the Football Leaks website that revealed financial violations by Manchester City. Benito, who hacked Manchester City's computers to obtain documents proving violations of English Premier League rules from 2009 to 2018, said he was forced to move to a secret location due to death threats he has been receiving.
His lawyers stated that previous procedures to end his security protection were canceled because Benito was not properly informed of the reasons behind this decision and was not given an opportunity to respond. According to Portugal's Ministry of Justice, a new decision will be made regarding the continuation of Benito's security protection.
Since 2020, Benito has been under judicial protection in Portugal after agreeing to hand over millions of documents he collected before his arrest to Portuguese authorities. During his detention, Benito admitted to hacking computers to obtain the documents he published online starting from 2015. These documents exposed suspicious practices involving famous players and football agencies, leading to tax reforms and criminal investigations in several European countries.
In September 2023, the Portuguese court sentenced him to four years in prison suspended after he was convicted of crimes including attempted extortion, illegal access to data, and tampering with emails. According to Benito, these documents revealed illegal practices in the world of football, leading to a criminal investigation into Manchester City.
Analysis & context
Analysis & Context
Analytically, the continuation of Roy Benito's protection reflects the severity of the threats he faces due to his work in exposing football violations. This protection indicates that the information Benito disclosed remains crucial for ongoing investigations.
In a broader context, the Football Leaks scandal revealed illegal practices in the world of football, leading to changes in rules and regulations. The scandal demonstrated how electronic leaks can lead to fundamental changes in sports and financial laws.
This event also shows how cooperation between judicial authorities in different countries can lead to justice in complex cases of corruption.
