FC Barcelona legend Ronaldinho is being held in Paraguay over charges of holding a fake passport. Ronaldinho and his brother Roberto are suspected of having committed “other crimes” as well in their country, as revealed by leading prosecutors on Sunday. “We are not yet able to say anything about the steps of the investigations, but there are indications that other crimes have been committed.” This was shared during an interview with Martin Fernandez and Raphael Sibilla, who are currently reporting for Brazilian media giant Globoesporte, Osmar Legal.
“They are being prosecuted for using false documents. The false passport they used to enter Paraguay was issued by legal authorities, but the data contained in the documents has been tampered with,” it was also clarified. “The charge against them is for using these documents. This investigation is still in the beginning and there may be other criminal acts involving Ronaldo and Roberto. It is important that they continue here in Paraguay during this process,” Legal added.
It was decided by the authorities that following a court hearing lasting over four hours, Ronaldinho and his brother Roberto would be detained in Paraguay as they posed a flight risk.
Request from the defence for their house arrest was turned down despite claims that Roberto suffers from heart problems and requires exclusive medical care. No official certificates or medical reports supporting this, it has since emerged that the brothers could be behind bars for a period of six months before facing trial.
“It is important to know that Ronaldinho is a global idol and causes a commotion wherever he goes,”, said his counsel. “In recent days, crowds have lined up to get a photo or an autograph from him.
“The law must be the same for everyone, be it Ronaldinho or any other citizen. He is a very dear person, but we need to do our job as if he were just anybody,” the court concluded, though elsewhere admitting that he didn’t find it necessary for Ronaldinho to be led to court in handcuffs.
Additionally, it also remains to be seen if he will have troubles entering Spain in the near future, to take up a previously-hinted at position behind the scenes at the Catalan club, while further questions are raised as to how he managed to complete visits to Europe in late 2019 and last month when he was reunited with coach Frank Rijkaard.
Owing to legal issues in Brazil, Ronaldinho is not allowed to own a Brazilian passport despite being appointed an ambassador for tourism by president Jair Bolsonaro.
Courtesy: www.forbes.com
