Ronaldinho leaves without charges of the Paraguayan Fiscala after declaring for eight hours

I remained in police custody for allegedly entering Paraguay with a false passport

Ronaldinho, at the exit of the Fiscala de Asuncin.

JORGE ORNAMENT REUTERS

Ronaldinho Gacho and his brother Roberto returned to the hotel where they stayed after declaring for about eight hours in the Treasury for their entry to the country with false passports, and without the Public Ministry determined at the moment to raise an imputation or charges against him. Both left the Organized Crime Department escorted by police personnel and among a cloud of journalists, heading to the Yacht Resort Hotel and Paraguayan Golf Club, in the city of Lambar, just outside Asuncin.

The former soccer player’s lawyer, Adolfo MarnHe told the media that his client's decision is to undergo the relevant process since he has chosen to remain in the country, despite being in free traffic and communication. “He has no restriction unless in an hour we encounter a different circumstance,” said the lawyer, who added that his defendants did not engage in any criminal conduct.

“The decision that was made is the consent of our client, was to give a statement, answer all the questions of the Public Ministry, and we will start from tomorrow to enter to verify all the details,” he said.

A question of kindness

The judicial entanglement that affects the two brothers began with their arrival at the Asuncin airport to present this Thursday a charitable project for Paraguayan children to which the player was going to put his image. On Wednesday night, after passing the immigration controls, tax agents and the National Police took part in the hotel and seized two passports and as many Paraguayan identity cards with their respective names. For that reason they spent the night in police custody pending their declaration in Fiscala.

Before that, the prosecutor of the case, Federico DelfinoHe told the media that the passports had been issued in January by two other people and then adulterated, so that they would appear in the name of Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (Ronaldinho) and Roberto de Assis Moreira, brother of the former soccer player. Brazil's Wilmondes Sousa was arrested at the hotel, who was initially suspected of giving them Paraguayan documents upon getting off the plane, in the V.I.P. zone, before heading to immigration control.

However, Marn denied that version and assured that the former Brazilian international did not request or manage these documents, and stressed that they were handed over by Sousa a month ago at his home in Ro de Janeiro. In this regard, I state that what Ronaldinho believes is that he was handed over for a “question of kindness”, in reference to facilitating his procedure at the Asuncin airport.

He added that Ronaldinho “did not give the most importance to that document,” as it shows that on Wednesday night, at the hotel, he delivered them to Fiscala agents. Seal also that to enter Paraguay he could have used his Brazilian passport, as he did at the Sao Paulo airport, from where he returned to Asuncin.

The angelic foundation

The exfubolista was going to launch today a free health care project for minors for a group called the Angelic Foundation, and to present a book about his life. About this, Marn said that Sousa contacted, so that Ronaldinho's brother could participate in that event, which is also his representative.

“As far as we knew, he came to collaborate with a foundation, to launch a book … Sousa contacts his brother to come to Paraguay for these activities. The brother is the one who makes contact with Sousa, these are developed activities and finally what happens, “says Marn.

Two arrested

In the midst of the declaration of the two brothers, the Treasury announced the arrest of two women who will be the original holders of the passports then adulterated. And the interior minister, Euclides Acevedo, responsible to the Migration department of the airport for not having prevented entry to the country, since his Paraguayan passport was not registered in the system.

The criminal type that the former Barcelona player will face will be the use of a public document with false content, according to prosecutor Delfino.