Ronaldinho Arrested in Paraguay Over Alleged Use of Fake Passport
By Tom Gott
So, we all know Ronaldinho? The Brazilian guy? One of the most recognisable people in South America? Well, he has been arrested for using a fake passport pretending he's Paraguayan. Yep.
Since leaving AC Milan in 2010, Ronaldinho hasn't exactly had things his own way. His playing career petered out in Brazil, while issues in his personal life have ensured he is never too far away from the headlines.
[AHORA] “El señor @10Ronaldinho tiene pasaporte falso y ese es un delito por eso se ha ordenado su detención” dice @euclides_py, ministro del Interior en @AM_1080 Los fiscales AliciaSapriza, Manuel Doldan y Federico Delfino son los intervinientes. pic.twitter.com/6gANSH04ys
— Santiago González (@Santula) March 5, 2020
The latest issue for Ronaldinho, as noted by La Nación, is that he has been stopped by police for allegedly using a fake passport which claimed he was a native of Paraguay, which definitely isn't the smartest thing for a global icon to do.
Both Ronaldinho and his brother, who also had false documents, have been detained, while police have also located the person who sold them the fake passports.
Now, I'm sure you're wondering why he would do this. Well, the problem is that he doesn't have a Brazilian passport these days, and he's not legally allowed to own one until he pays a hefty fine.
Ronaldinho y su hermano con cédulas y pasaportes paraguayos. De no creer, aunque ya nada debería sorprender. Mañana deberán prestar declaración a la fiscalía. pic.twitter.com/GVj4yL3oDv
— Elvιɴ Koвѕ (@elvinkobs) March 5, 2020
You see, back in 2018, Ronaldinho was found guilty of illegally building a fishing platform on Lake Guaíba without planning permission, and he was hit with a €2.3m fine because of damages to other properties. Unfortunately, he couldn't pay.
The Court of Justice of the State of Rio Grande do Sul confirmed that he had around $6.59 in his bank account, so his passport was seized and he was prevented from leaving Brazil.
The BBC reported just six months ago that while he's being chased for the best part of £4m in fines, his net worth is estimated to be around £80-100m (which is loads). So
However, what makes this story even stranger is that he was still able to travel to certain countries. As a native of a Mercosur state like Brazil, Ronaldinho was permitted to travel to Paraguay (another Mercosur state) using only a Brazilian identity card, but he still went down the fake passport route.
So...nice one.
How many people on this planet do you think have owned a Ballon d'Or trophy and a fake Paraguayan passport at the same time? That almost sounds like an achievement.