Let’s break down the story involving former soccer player Ronaldinho Gaúcho and his appearance before the “CPI das Pirâmides Financeiras”, an investigation by the Brazilian parliament in Brasília.
Ronaldinho Gaúcho, the legendary soccer player, was expected to attend a crucial meeting with the “CPI das Pirâmides Financeiras” in Brasília after failing to appear despite two summonses. The commission had resorted to requesting his presence.
Ronaldinho is linked cryptocurrency scams
Ronaldinho finds himself entangled in a controversy as the commission accuses him of being the founder and co-owner of 18K Ronaldinho, a company linked to the sale of cryptocurrencies.
This company promised impressive daily returns but allegedly failed to deliver, leaving investors in the lurch. In 2020, Ronaldinho was even named as a defendant in a class action lawsuit, which sought R$300 million in damages on behalf of aggrieved investors.
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As he took the stand, Ronaldinho attended the meeting with his lawyer and his brother, Roberto Assis, who manages his affairs. In his testimony, he expressed his eagerness to resolve the matter, given the tarnishing of his reputation.
Ronaldinho’s testimony
Throughout his testimony, Ronaldinho denied having been properly summoned and distanced himself from any involvement with the cryptocurrency company in question.
He asserted that the partners had wrongfully used his name and image without his authorization. He also claimed to have cooperated with authorities in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro as a witness in previous proceedings.
Additionally, Ronaldinho faced questions about the use of his image in promotional materials for the cryptocurrency company. He clarified that the image rights pertained to a watch sales campaign and indicated his intention to pursue legal action against the responsible partners, whose whereabouts remain unknown.
Ronaldinho chose to exercise his right to remain silent on certain questions, availing himself of a habeas corpus granted by the Federal Supreme Court to avoid self-incrimination.
This ongoing investigation, centered on financial pyramid schemes involving cryptocurrencies, is scheduled to continue until September 28th, with the commission also addressing cryptocurrency legislation in its proceedings.
