Soccer icon Ronaldinho Gaúcho testified before the Brazilian Congress about a $61 million fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme.
He denied any involvement with the scam project 18kRonaldinho, which promised 2% daily returns on digital assets. A lawsuit has been filed against the firm seeking damages.
During the hearings, advertising materials featuring Ronaldinho were shown. The former footballer said he had never been a partner of the company, and it used his name and image without authorization.
He noted that the photos were taken under a contract signed in July 2019 with a subsidiary of the fraudsters that sells watches.
Investigation head Aureo Ribeiro asked Ronaldinho whether he intended to reimburse investors’ losses. The football star ignored the question.
The investigation initiated in June, it is conducted by the lower house of Brazil’s Congress and the Chamber of Deputies. In total, 11 suspicious organisations have come under scrutiny.
Ronaldinho did not appear at the previous two hearings into the 18kRonaldinho case due to bad weather. It was his last chance to appear before Congress; otherwise he faced a fine.
Earlier in May, NBA star Shaquille O’Neal was again accused of promoting the collapsed FTX. Along with him, in similar cases, former basketball player Stephen Curry, NFL player Tom Brady, comedian Larry David and Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka are among those under investigation.