The former Brazilian soccer player Ronaldinho Gaucho alleged this Thursday before a congressional commission that investigates fraud with financial pyramids that his name was misused by two partners accused of a scam and with whom he only had a contract to promote a watch brand.
The former striker of clubs like PSG, Barcelona y AC Milanwho refused to go on the two previous occasions in which he was summoned to testify by the parliamentary commission and was even threatened with being taken by force by the police, denied all the accusations against him in more than two hours of interrogation before legislators.
The commission of the Chamber of Deputies that investigates fraud with financial pyramids decided to summon the ex-soccer player for questioning because his name and his image was used by the owners of the company “18K Ronaldinho” to attract investor resources to those who promised huge interests with the purchase of cryptocurrencies and to those who ended up scamming.
The former soccer player told legislators that he signed a contract with the owners of the company “18K Ronaldinho” exclusively to promote a watch brand. He added that the contract was negotiated by his brother and his representative, Roberto de Assis Moreira, and that he was only twice with one of the partners of that company when he was filming a commercial to promote the watches. He affirmed that he never authorized said company to use his name or his image to promote financial businesses or to offer cryptocurrencies, and that he only found out that the partners had been using both improperly when the Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation into the scam. .
“They used my name without authorization to create another company. I have even been heard by the Prosecutor’s Office and by the Police as a witness for the investigations into fraud. I was also a victim. I never participated in that company and I never authorized the use of my name or my image, ”he said.
When questioned by the parliamentary commission instructor, Deputy Ricardo Silva, about the measures he took when he found out that his name had been used to promote the sale of cryptocurrencies, Ronaldinho admitted that he did not report it to the Police or file any lawsuit against his partners. The former soccer player clarified that, just as they manage their businesses and his finances, his brother and his lawyers were the ones who were in charge of responding to the complaints.
Despite his denials, Ronaldinho Gaúcho appears as a defendant in a process opened by hundreds of investors requesting compensation of 300 million reais (about $61.5 million) for the losses they suffered for trusting in a financial product promoted with the image of the ex-soccer player. Despite his alleged intention to clarify the accusations against him, the former Barcelona attacker refused to answer most of the questions from the legislators, protected by a sentence in which the Justice authorized him not to answer questions that could incriminate him.
In addition to being threatened with being taken by force to the Congressthe ex-soccer player attended the interrogation this Thursday after the Police, in response to an order from Parliament, appeared at his residence to withhold his passport.
