Rui Pinto, the whistleblower known for exposing financial irregularities in football through the 'Football Leaks' project, was kept unaware for nearly three months that his witness protection status was being terminated. Documents reviewed by The Guardian indicate that the special security programmes commission (CPES), the body responsible for managing Portugal’s witness protection, held meetings on July 8 and July 9 to evaluate Pinto’s case.

During these meetings, the commission determined that the threat level against Pinto had decreased, leading to the conclusion that special security measures were no longer necessary. Despite this determination being reached in early July, the commission did not officially notify Pinto of the decision until September 30. This delay left Pinto with only 10 days to prepare for the expiration of his security arrangements. The discrepancy between the date of the decision and the date of notification has raised questions regarding the transparency and administrative efficiency of the CPES in managing high-profile witness cases. As of the current reporting, the CPES has not provided a public explanation for the 83-day delay in communication.