Renowned Brazilian soccer icon Ronaldinho Gaúcho is under the spotlight for his involvement in a crypto fraud investigation within Brazil.
Reports from local media indicate that Ronaldinho is at risk of being detained by authorities to provide testimony in connection with the probe. The investigation centers around an alleged pyramid scheme linked to one of his companies.
Despite being a former star for major clubs like Paris Saint-Germain, F.C. Barcelona, and AC Milan, Ronaldinho is now caught up in a legal tangle.
He was recently summoned to appear before Brazil’s Congress as part of the investigation into the “18kRonaldinho” venture. This company is accused of luring clients with the promise of daily returns exceeding 2% through cryptocurrency investments.
However, Ronaldinho failed to respond to a subpoena for the second time on August 24. His excuse was adverse weather conditions that prevented his attendance at the congressional hearing.
Congressman Aureo Ribeiro confirmed that another opportunity for Ronaldinho to testify has been scheduled for August 31. If he doesn’t comply, law enforcement might step in and present him before the committee.
Under Brazilian law, witnesses who are subpoenaed are legally obligated to appear before Congress. Disregarding a subpoena can result in fines, and if necessary, the police can enforce the subpoena by escorting the individual to the hearing.
Ronaldinho’s legal defense argues that he was merely an “ambassador” for the company and not a key player in the alleged scam.
They claim that his image and name were exploited without proper authorization to deceive potential clients.
Notably, Ronaldinho also ventured into the crypto space with a nonfungible token (NFT) collection launched in collaboration with INFLUXO in 2021.
