The former Barca and Milan playmaker was taken in
for questioning along with his brother earlier in the week, and is now being
held behind bars
Legendary ex-Brazil international Ronaldinho has
been arrested in Paraguay after allegedly producing a false passport to enter
the country.
Prosecutors have stated that they were given the
counterfeit documents when the 39-year-old and his brother, Roberto Assis,
landed in the capital, Asuncion, on Wednesday.
The two men were initially detained in the Resort
Yacht & Golf Club Paraguayo, as confirmed by the Ministry of Interior of
Paraguay.
Ronaldinho was planning to take a flight back to
Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, but he and Roberto were officially taken into custody
on Friday.
The ministry released a statement via Twitter
confirming their arrest which reads: "The Attorney General's office issued
a warrant for their arrest, charged the player Ronaldinho with using a public
document with false content and requested preventative detention."
Hours after a judge refused to ratify a
prosecutor's proposal for an alternative punishment, the pair were taken to a
police station in Asuncion.
The head of the investigations unit of the
Paraguayan police, Gilberto Fleitas, confirmed the news, with Ronaldinho later
seen on television being transported away from the Sheraton hotel.
Fleitas told Reuters: "The detention order
has been carried out."
Ronaldinho and his brother have both denied any
wrongdoing, insisting they believed the passports were a courtesy gesture.
They are expected to face a judge on Saturday,
with a decision on whether they will be set free or kept behind bars set to be
made while investigations continue.
The former Barcelona superstar and his
representatives had been invited to Paraguay by Nelson Belotti, owner of the Il
Palazzo casino, and was due to appear at a number of publicity events.
Ronaldinho's lawyer Sergio Queiroz has said that
his legal team has filed an injunction to release the World Cup winner and his
brother, who also acts as his business manager.
Widely considered to be one of the greatest
footballers of all time, Ronaldinho enjoyed a hugely successful playing career
spanning 17 years.
The distinguished midfielder won the Champions
League and La Liga at Barca and picked up a Serie A title with Milan before
hanging up his boots in 2015 after a spell at Fluminense.
Ronaldinho won 97 caps for Brazil, scoring 33
goals, and played a key role during the team's run to glory at the 2002 World
Cup in South Korea/Japan.
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