Ronaldinho’s Predicament in Paraguay Ends After Penalty Converted Into Fine

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Paraguayan courts have authorized the ex-star soccer player and his brother to return to Brazil after an agreement that requires the payment of over R$1 million in fines.

The two were detained for almost six months after an unsuccessful attempt to enter Paraguay with an adulterated passport. However, while preserving his distinctive smile and friendliness, Ronaldinho Gaúcho was granted the green light to return to Brazil on Monday.

According to the agreement signed with the Paraguayan authorities, the star and his older brother, Roberto de Assis Moreira, accused of cooperating with document forgery, will be required to pay a US$200,000 fine (R$1.1 million) in exchange for suspending the proceedings.

During the hearing at the Asunción Palace of Justice, attended by representatives of the Brazilian consulate in Paraguay, Judge Gustavo Amarilla Arnica annulled the agreement proposed by the local Prosecutor’s Office, which suspended the proceedings against Ronaldinho because he understands that there are no other crimes linked to the pair’s actions.

Wearing a mask because of the restrictive measures imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, the soccer star made a point of standing up and greeting the prosecutors. After paying the fine, in the form of donations to Paraguayan charitable organizations as reparation for the social damage, the ex-player will be free of judicial obligations, as long as he reports to the authorities any change of fixed address in Brazil or WhatsApp phone number, used for potential notifications of developments in the case.

Assis, who was indicted by the Prosecutor’s Office for providing pictures to produce the adulterated passports, will be required to appear in a Brazilian court every four months for a two-year period, in addition to paying the fine. Should he fail to comply with the penalty, the agreement may be annulled. In early April, the brothers had already paid US$1.6 million in bail to leave the penitentiary where they were detained for over a month, migrating to house arrest – completed in a luxury hotel in the Paraguayan capital. The fine will be deducted from this amount, and the remainder reimbursed after the agreement is validated.

With his image scarred by the scandal, Ronaldinho celebrated his 40th birthday in prison. His fans jokingly described the event in Paraguay as another of the star’s random plays, who after ending his career on the soccer fields, was marked by both unusual and folkloric appearances. He began to play in celebration matches, such as indoor soccer tournaments in India, and to star in several kinds of publicity events, from a reality show in the Arab Emirates to a movie with Mike Tyson.

Ronaldinho and his brother were arrested on March 5th, together with Brazilian entrepreneur Wilmondes Sousa Lira, indicted for the production of the false passports and documents. Before his arrest, the ex-player had been declared a distinguished citizen of Asunción and signed a marketing contract with a casino run by entrepreneur Nelson Belotti, described by Operation Lava Jato as the alleged intermediary of R$24 million in suspected money laundering transactions between José Carlos Bumlai, Alberto Yousseff, and JBS.

In 2015, the Assis Moreira brothers were sentenced to pay an R$8.5 million fine for illegal building in environmental preservation areas. Failing to collect payment for the infractions, the Brazilian courts ordered the seizure of their passports in late 2018, which compromised their international commitments agenda. However, the inability to travel abroad did not prevent Ronaldinho from being named ambassador of tourism by the Bolsonaro government in September last year. Due to his conviction, the ex-player’s selection for a voluntary position, which does not involve a salary, was a source of controversy within the Ministry of Tourism. At the time, Embratur explained that the position is “honorary and symbolic”.

Still in 2019, the Rio Grande do Sul Prosecutor’s Office reached an agreement with the brothers to settle the fine and, consequently, release their Brazilian passports. Up until then, they had sought to recover their documents through the Federal Supreme Court (STF) appeals, but they were unsuccessful in overturning the Rio Grande do Sul Justice’s decision. With the sentence imposed by the Paraguayan authorities, Ronaldinho is free not only to return to Brazil but also to restart his travel routine and events around the world.

Source: El País