After more than a month of imprisonment in Paraguay for using a false passport, the Brazilian Ronaldinho was placed under house arrest in a hotel in Asuncion by court decision on Tuesday, April 7. The former star of Paris SG and FC Barcelona arrived in the evening at this recently renovated luxury hotel, the Palmaroga, in the center of the capital.

At a press conference, the judge in charge of the case, Gustavo Amarilla, described "an alternative measure for Ronaldinho and his brother and the continuation of their detention in a hotel". "I have the assurance from the management of the hotel that they will be under house arrest there at their expense," added the magistrate.

Lawyers for the former Brazilian champion offered a bail of 1.6 million dollars for the two brothers, which was accepted by the Paraguayan justice, said the judge.

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, known as Ronaldinho, and his brother Roberto were arrested on March 6 in Asuncion, accused of entering Paraguay in possession of false passports. They have since been in pre-trial detention in a police station, where the 2005 Ballon d'Or celebrated its 40th birthday on March 21.

A runaway businesswoman

Brazilian justice had deprived Ronaldinho of a passport at the end of 2018, after being fined $ 2.5 million (about 2.25 million euros), which he had not paid, for having built a jetty without authorization at the edge of a lake in a protected area. He finally recovered it in 2019 after an agreement with the justice system, in return for a payment of 6 million reais (1.1 million euros).

When they arrived at Asuncion airport, the two men had shown their passports to the immigration police, who did not immediately notice any discrepancies. The police then searched the hotel where the two men were staying. Investigators discovered false Paraguayan passports made there in the Paraguayan capital.

Ronaldinho and his brother say the documents were given to them as gifts by the businesswoman and president of a humanitarian foundation who invited them to come to Paraguay, and who is now on the run. Fifteen people, including entrepreneurs, police and civil servants, are in the crosshairs of the Paraguayan justice in the context of this case.

With AFP

The France 24 week summary invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you! Download the France 24 app

google-play-badge_FR