Carolina Salgado

Carolina Salgado is a former partner of FC Porto's president Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa. A former escort, Carolina Salgado became known as Pinto da Costa's companion in the early 2000s. After the couple split, she published a controversial book "Eu, Carolina" ("Me, Carolina", officially ghost written by Maria Fernanda Freitas, although the later claims there were substantial changes from the manuscript) in December 2006, presenting some quarters of Portuguese football as a promiscuous world, and revealing details of her relationship with her former partner Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa. It was alleged by Carolina Salgado and widely reported in the news media, that Pinto da Costa (who was formally accused in the "Apito Dourado" sports corruption scandal in june 2007) was tipped off to the investigation by one of his personal friends inside the police department conducting the investigation. He left the country with his (then) partner, Carolina Salgado, hours before the police raided his house, where they did not find the documents they were looking for. [ [http://dn.sapo.pt/2007/01/30/sociedade/fuga_para_espanha_leva_pinto_costa_a.html "Pinto da Costa's Escape to Spain"] , in Diário de Notícias (30th January 2007), (in Portuguese)] Other serious accusations were made by Carolina, including match fixing, bribing referees with prostitutes and ordering the beating of Gondomar municipality councilman Ricardo Bexiga. [ [http://www.mundopt.com/n-pinto-da-costa-interrogado-sobre-agressoes-a-ricardo-bexiga-10558.html "Pinto da Costa questioned about Ricardo Bexiga", TSF, March 14, 2007] (in Portuguese)] [ [http://www.correiodamanha.pt/noticia.asp?id=223726&idselect=133&idCanal=133&p=22 "Carolina Salgado Testemunha da Judiciária", Correio da Manhã, December 12, 2006] , accessed December 2006 (in Portuguese)] She claims her book is a truthful testimony of facts, and after the publishing she was summoned to appear before a magistrate investigating alleged attempts to influence referees in the scandal called "Apito Dourado". Pinto da Costa denied all allegations to the news media.

The book "Eu, Carolina"

The book made an impact on Portuguese news media and society. An adaptation of the book "Eu, Carolina" was made for cinema in 2007. With the title "Corrupção" (Corruption), the film was directed by Portuguese film director João Botelho starring Margarida Vila-Nova as the partner of the football club's chairman.

Controversy

Carolina is regarded by many as a dubious witness because of her social past as an escort and that she may be acting as revenge to her previous partner. She also has been backed by the president of the main rival club and the co-writer of the book is a known public supporter of that club. While these are contextual circumstances that diminish her credibility, she has further damaged her image by describing her role in the attack on Ricardo Bexiga. In her embellished report of what happened she declared that she and others had previously gone to the parking lot where the attack took place and destroyed the video cameras so they would not be used as evidence. This claim was disproven because the parking lot where the attack took place never had security cameras installed. This confession of her taking part of the attack did not trigger legal prosecution because she was considered a witness under witness protection.

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