BRAZILIAN FOOTBALL GREAT Ronaldinho will remain in pre-trial detention in Paraguay after being refused bail or house arrest on allegations of entering the country with a fake passport.
A court rejected a request for conditional release for the 39-year-old World Cup winner and his brother, who were spending a fifth day in a police cell in Asuncion, said prosecutor Osmar Legal.
Judge Gustavo Amarilla cited the seriousness of the case and the discovery of new evidence, as well as the involvement of public officials and entrepreneurs who facilitated Ronaldinho’s arrival in Paraguay.
Amarilla acknowledged the harshness of the measures taken against the brothers but said it was his responsibility to ensure the they did not flee the country.
“The are many procedures that need to be done with the presence of both of them,” the judge said.
Legal said he opposed house arrest because the property offered as a guarantee was only valued at $750,000 to $800,000.
“It’s a tiny amount given the economic solvency of one of the (accused),” he said.
They arrived in Asuncion from Brazil on Wednesday and showed their passports to immigration police, who did not immediately notice any problem.
Hours later, when the passports were determined to be fake, investigators raided the football star’s hotel room and seized the brothers’ identity cards and travel documents.
Ronaldinho said the passports had been given to him by people who had invited him to attend conferences sponsored by charities working with disadvantaged children.
A Brazilian businessman has also been arrested in connection with the fake travel documents, while two Paraguayan women have been placed under house arrest and the country’s migration director has resigned.
Ronaldinho’s Brazilian lawyer Sergio Queiroz has said the brothers were given the Paraguayan passports “to facilitate the possibility of doing business” in Paraguay.
“Ronaldinho did not commit a crime because he did not know that the passport they gave him was faked,” he said.
The administrator of the charity that invited Ronaldinho, Dalia Lopez, has admitted requesting the passports but said she didn’t know they were forged.
A warrant has been issued for her arrest.
Amarilla said the investigation is looking into possible criminal association and money laundering.
He said the two brothers’ phones need to be examined, in order to “know the true intention for their presence” in Paraguay.
Ronaldinho, considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, was a star of Brazil’s 2002 World Cup win and played for European giants Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan, among others.
There had been rumors he needed to use the Paraguayan document because his real passport had been seized by Brazilian authorities in late 2018 after he failed to pay a $2.5 million fine for building a pier in a protected lake.
But it was returned to him a year later following an agreement with the public prosecutor in Rio Grande do Sul state.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
Amazing come around after the low of the georgia/Serbia slip up. Let’s do this Ireland.
@Paddy Norton: hoofball. Jesus we are painful to watch
@David Mc Nally: good result lads.. away from home.. a brilliant result. I hope the fans on Tuesday have more belief the you guys. #hardtobeat
@David Mc Nally: if ye wanted a game of football tonight we be out by now
@Irishoverseas: painful to watch but good result.
@Paddy Norton: We’ve been rubbish at home. I’m sure Denmark will have noticed that. So we need to go for it. We gave Belgium too much respct in France and got slaughtered, but we went for Sweden, Italy and France and did well enough!
As expected…. We’re allergic to passing and holding onto the ball
@Brian O’Loughlin:
It’s an awful display of hoof ball. Very ugly from both teams.
Hmmmmmm, really tough one to call, heart and head are colliding. Heart says us or a draw, the head says Denmark may have a little bit too much guile for us. Either way I don’t see us going home without something. By that, I mean a draw, a win or an away goal. If we do lose I see it being by the odd goal of three.
@Stephen Duggan: your heart won.
I don’t know… Denmark is probably one of the most unpredictable sides in Europe. They can play a bad game, or on par with SPAIN or Germany. Hopefully the first type tonight lol, come on Ireland :)
Christ this is painful
@Brian O’Loughlin: So say all of us Brian, stringing a few passes together and a small bit of composure seems always beyong Ireland, we always look like the away side even when at home
@Brian O’Loughlin: I though O’Neill said we were going for it. A Danish goal is coming. We all know this. I hope O’Neill and Co know it!
@Brian O’Loughlin: very painful. Has Murphy actually been in possession of the ball yet?
@Sloop John G: Arter and O’Dowda seem to be willing to pass it but when it goes back to Duffy, Clark or Randolph it’s hoooooofffff!
It’s all Denmark. This could be a long night
@Johnny Bravo: Not really, you should be in bed by 10ish.
O dowda to score a hat trick !!!!
I have a good feeling about tonight. However I have a fear that our home form might let us down in the end
Is Jeff Hendrick actually playing?? Has anyone seen him ?
@Harry Corry: You missed his delightful one two with Conor Salmon then??
@Harry Corry: he was babysitting Eriksen all evening
I’d take a win here.
@Robert O’Rourke: no shłt Sherlock
@Robert O’Rourke: Ya I would definitely be OK with a 4-0 Ireland win. Don’t want us to start getting ahead of ourselves with expectations.
@Robert O’Rourke: Why settle for a win?
Lump it in
Can someone please tell Eamonn that this is not a game for Wes
@Johnny Bravo: Johnny it actually is…
@Johnny Bravo: Not a full match, last 30 mins!
@Paul Furey: pitch is in rag order better to keep him fresh for the home game.
Another note good to the Irish lads taking a leaf out of previous opponents books by going to ground at every opportunity. It’s not pretty but it’s all part of the game now
@Johnny Bravo: Good call! And maybe it will shut Dunphy up :)
Hardly knew Hendrick was playing until he was substituted in injury time. On a separate note, twice George Hamilton said Ireland got a point at the end. Does he not know how a two legged playoff works?
Turgid stuff, just the way we like it
Can’t believe RTE still pay dunphy, because he says the same thing at every half time…. “we’re rubbish, we need to bring on hoolahan”. Hoolihihan this and hoolihan that. Does he really think a 35 year old is our saviour. Good bless him….
@Ardmore02: who can’t get a regular game for Norwich.
@Ardmore02: say what you want about dunphy, but you will miss him when he’s gone!
@stephen mc galey: trust me, no I won’t.
fact we were not supposed to get a play off after the Georgia game makes me think the lads will play with no fear . Same as Last time after we beat Germany and then we done the Bosnians with relative ease . Hopefully a score draw tonight and nick a win Tuesday .
Fingers crossed !
Fair enough we will sit back and defend but If we even tried to break at speed we might look like scoring
So its hang on the hope we get a lucky break
Can’t fecking wait!
That was hard to watch. Muck standard.
Ref is giving Murphy nothing
@Richard Sweeney: Ireland are giving Murphy nothing.
@☘️: that too
Apparently something nearly happened in the game tonight
Really targeting Christie and it’s hard to blame them.
COYBIG!!
the Danes dont fancy this match there a pretty nervous bunch, as long [no pun intended] as there no silly mistakes its all gravy,
Any negative comments have been deleted by the Journal
This is great stuff altogether….
38% possession, come on!
@Ben Coughlan: not going too bad, the Danish crowd are silent.
One word. Randalf.
Them pesky Vikings are on their way. We had no problem with them the last time they arrived! Hopefully they will be staying in Clontarf marina. Bring on the Shane Long’boat b4 our luck runs down the black river.
Ref doing well for the boys to be fair!
@Bill Liffin: ya fair play, kept his cards in his pocket. Stupid having bookings carry over from the group stage. 15 of the 22 starters were on a yellow tonight
Let it in
OLE OLE OLE OLE
We’re going to WC but probably won’t win it.
@Bluepoolroad: Guinness is good for you, probably…
Have to say not great to watch but we are on the front foot now for Tuesday it’s a question of do you want to watch Brazil style football and be at home like the Welsh wondering what if ie be 90 mins away from a major finals tournament. We’re never going to win the world cup but it’s great to at leat be I The final reckoning. We’re a small country yet keep punching above our weight. Time to get behind the boys in green.
We have this, they showed they’re no great if world football, they couldn’t score at home to us. 1- 0 in Dublin and Russia here we come
Bendtner wasn’t world class tonight :D We live to fight another day.
Good result. Would have gladly taken a draw before the game. Still all to play for in Dublin. COYBIG
send that leg to lourds, 1-0 to IRELAND
Awful shit to watch.More shit to come.Kill me now
Something wrong when a team with 2 central premiership midfielders can’t pass the ball ….
Good score.