It's really time that someone went after the enablers of massive corruption and theft, the prestigious companies that all grads want to work for. The McKinseys, BCGs, PWC, Bain and others have shown themselves to be the handmaidens of corruption and theft of resources from nations while their people suffer in abject poverty. It has become very clear that nothing, nothing in this world is more important than money.
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I invite the New York Times to look into Portugal and the Portuguese media.
For years, the media was used to promote Isabel dos Santos. Political power was happy to have her money, all the while everyone knew the money was dirty.
This whistle-blower --- Rui Pinto --- is well known in Portugal. He was jailed and harassed after thousands of emails from a soccer club --- Benfica --- were leaked. In those emails you could see bribery and corruption and match fixing.
Instead of investigating and prosecuting the soccer club, the Portuguese authorities went after Rui Pinto. The media, not wanting to after their golden goose (the soccer club) actively contributed to defame Rui Pinto.
Fast forward to the "Luanda Leaks". The media in Portugal is now extremely happy to use the leaks and are doing gymnastic works to both condemn him for leaks about Benfica, while using his leaks about Angola.
Look into how Portugal, in the EU, is still a country where corruption is rampant and at all levels.
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To paraphrase AOC.... you dont earn a billion dollars, you steal it. Quite literally in this case, but I think we all know nothing will come of this. Even the soccer stars who were taken to trial ended up paying less than they owed.
3
Good for Mr. Pinto. If the 1% are winning by not following the rules and regulations, then they open themselves up to be taken down in the same manner in which they build (steal) their bank accounts. Can't claim law and order when they have no regard for it in the first place. I vote for freedom for Mr. Pinto.
25
This man only published questionable acts committed by those angry footballers. Doing the right thing even when nobody is looking, Then you will never have to worry and nothing to get mad about. HONESTY AND INTEGRITY
2
This world belongs to the powerful ones. This lady allegedly stole millions and millions from the country, money that belongs to all the people, and the only way we found out is because of leaks. Not because someone thought "this is weird, she has way too much money. maybe we should investigate". But like I read, who knows if Angola would do something, maybe the new politicians are as corrupt as she is.
So, why charge him if what he did would bring justice to the millions of people in Angola? He should be free. This world is a joke
17
"Furious teams cursed him. Agents threatened to sue him. Embarrassed investigators vowed to arrest him."
That's when you know that someone has uncovered the truth that others have tried to keep hidden.
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@Bob R No team has done that so far! This guy has also a very dubious past as he has tried to extort money from several banks in the Cayman Islands for the benefit of himself. The media has said that he might responsible for the theft of Benfica's emails but he has denied such several times because the emails were given to a rival club with dubious intentions and not to the authorities. On a recent court hearings it was proven that the Rival Club had misrepresented the content of such and it was condemned to pay 2M euros to Benfica. Let's assume he's responsible for this theft, my question is, why did he choose to give them to his favorite soccer club and not the authorities? Why just emails? What about the documents of the money involved? Corruption has to have money or there's no point of doing it! Where are the other documents? Apparently there are none because there is no corruption, so they need the emails to cause disruption with the purpose of hiding their own games of corruption!
Translating what Edward above is trying to say:
Rui Pinto uncovered a lot of dirt on Portugal's biggest soccer club. Portuguese authorities quickly shoved it under the rug and jailed Rui Pinto.
If you want to know why Portugal is one of the least developed countries in Europe, look no further than this case. The passion for a soccer club (Benfica) leads millions to condone corruption and go after the one who denounces the crimes.
9
@Edward of course you are a soccer fan, and of course you are a benfica fan.
Nice try!
I bet you'd rather be robbed every day by the corrupt system than see your corrupt club named by the justice.
4
Thank you Rui Pinto! You are a true hero.
Rui Pinto has shown the world what a true hero is. Unlike Snowden who indiscriminately released classified information and then fled to seek harbor from autocratic regimes enemies of his own country, Rui Pinto trusts justice will prevail.
I am very proud of you. Parabens.
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@Watchman
Actually very much like Snowden, who was trapped in Russia when the U.S. cancelled his passport.
5
Why am I struck with the sudden thought that the hacker who REVEALS these secrets about the rich and connected will face more severe consequences than the very people whose crimes he exposed?
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@Ben
Exactly. He is in handcuffs; meanwhile, where is Ms. Dos Santos?
7
@blondiegoodlooks He's in prison because he tried to extort money from Doyen Sports. He's not in prison because of Isabel. You seem to think that this guy is a Saint or a hero but he's not. His hands are dirty also, he has tried to extort money from banks in the Cayman Islands also, he's a criminal also and he should be in jail! All the hacking that he did it was done for his own benefit and now he's playing the victim because he got caught. If he didn't get caught it wouldn't surprise me if he tried to extort money from Isabel in exchange for the info that he possessed because that is what he did for a living.
3
I don't believe whistleblowers need to be "saints" or "heroes" for their actions to deserve our admiration and, most importantly, for them to be protected from legal consequences for disclosing criminal behavior. We don't really expect or demand that our politicians, media personalities or even pretty much anyone in our society (perhap from our religious leaders?) live up to such standards of moral purity. Why are we so eager to demand such purity of intentions from whistleblowers? We all know human motivations are a complicated, messy thing. All I know is that I am glad people like Pinto, Assange and Snowden revealed criminal actions by powerful people.
8