BRAZIL LEGEND QUIZZED
Football star Ronaldinho probed in Paraguay after police raid on hotel after ‘being found with fake passports’
BRAZILIAN football legend Ronaldinho is being probed in Paraguay over "fake passports" after cops swooped on his on hotel.
The former Barcelona ace was ordered to appear before prosecutors today after allegedly entering the country with falsified documents.
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Ronaldinho has been banned from leaving his luxury hotel on the outskirts of the Paraguayan capital Asuncion until his quiz.
Police went to his hotel yesterday — the Yacht and Paraguayan Club Hotel Resort - after being informed about the alleged dodgy papers.
The Paraguayan passport in his full name — Ronaldo de Assis Moreira — was issued on January 7 this year and stated he was Brazilian but described him as a naturalised Paraguayan.
Police have also confiscated an allegedly fake Paraguayan ID card.
Ronaldinho’s brother Roberto has also been ordered to appear before prosecutors at 9am local time after an allegedly falsified Paraguayan passport in his name was found.
A Brazilian businessman, named locally as 45-year-old Wilmondes Sousa Liria and identified as the man suspected of facilitating the documents, was the only one of the three who has so far been arrested.
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Paraguay’s State Prosecution Service published photos of Ronaldinho in his presidential suite surrounded by cops.
It said in a statement: "According to the information received, they had Paraguayan passports when they entered the country on Wednesday afternoon.
"These documents are being analysed so their authenticity can be established. Two passports, a national ID document and mobile phones have been confiscated.
"Ronaldinho and his brother said they had been invited to Paraguay by Nelson Belotti, owner of the Il Palazzo casino, and had been contacted by the representative of a foundation called Fraternidad Angelical about participating in some charity events.
"The two brothers remain free to move around their suite at the resort but will remain there under custody."
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Last September it was reported Ronaldinho and his brother agreed to pay a fine of more than £1million to recover their Brazilian passports.
A judge had seized their passports after they were convicted of building an illegal fishing platform on a lake in a conservation area.
They were given until October to pay the fine. It was not immediately clear today if it had been paid.
Ronaldinho had been due to present a free mobile health clinic service for children in Paraguay later today.
He was also scheduled to present his book called Genio de la Vida — Genius of Life’ in English.
Fans went to the airport to welcome him to Paraguay when he flew in yesterday and he was subsequently made an Illustrious Visitor of Asuncion in a ceremony shortly after his arrival.
Dalia Lopez, representative of the children’s charity called Fundacion Fraternidad Angelical which Ronaldinho was due to work with, said ahead of the raid on his hotel: “As a mother, woman and entrepreneur, the health of the most impoverished boys and girls is something that constantly worries me, which is why I wanted to develop a project which benefited them.
“Adding my grain of sand to this gives me great satisfaction, and what better way of doing it than with Ronaldinho as an ally, a soccer star who knows first-hand the suffering of the most vulnerable communities.”
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