Prosecutors in Portugal have denounced him as a criminal hacker, but his supporters describe the man behind the "Luanda Leaks" revelations as a public interest whistleblower.
Rui Pinto, the Portuguese self-taught hacker already tied to the "Football Leaks", has now come forward as the source of the spectacular "Luanda Leaks" revelations.
The stories based on his latest massive leak have already led to Angolan prosecutors filing fraud charges against Isabel dos Santos, the billionaire daughter of Angola's ex-president.
But Pinto himself, while described by supporters as a crusading whistleblower, faces trial in Portugal over the hacking operation that led to the "Football Leaks" scandal.
Pinto was arrested a year ago in Hungary and extradited to Portugal over the "Football Leaks" operation, which exposed details of the financial dealings and transfers involving clubs in Europe's top leagues.
His lawyers insist he is a "very important European whistleblower".
They point out that the millions of documents in his 2016 "Football Leaks" package exposed tax evasion, fraud and corruption to a consortium of European outlets.
And Pinto said he leaked the "Luanda Leaks" files -- drawn from 715,000 documents -- out of civic duty, asking for nothing in return.
- Self-taught hacker -
Born in the northern suburb of Porto Vila Nova de Gaia, Pinto was mostly self-taught in computing, having never received advanced education in the field.
When he was 23, he allegedly hacked a bank based in the Cayman Islands, stealing 300,000 euros (330,000 dollars).
Although he denies wrongdoing, Pinto admits to having taken data that shows "how the Cayman Islands are ..
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