This archive report was first published on 26 August 2020.
On August 25, 2020, Ronaldinho Gaucho, the former Barcelona and AC Milan star, was finally declared a free man by a Paraguayan judge, ending his six-month house arrest in Paraguay.
According to authorities, Ronaldinho left the Palmaroga Hotel in Asuncion on a private flight with his brother Roberto, who was also arrested with him in March over the use of fake passports.
As part of the agreement, Ronaldinho and his brother will pay $90 million in costs, which will eventually be given to charitable firms.
"He is free to travel to whatever country in the world he wants but he must inform us if he changes his permanent residence", said Judge Gustavo Amarilla.
His brother Roberto is also a free man, but with a criminal record after he pleaded guilty to using a false document.
Prosecutors did not believe Ronaldinho was involved in the plan to create the fake passports, but his brother was fully aware.
Back in March, Ronaldinho's lawyer said the duo were not aware the passports were fake, and that they could cause no harm to the State of Paraguay.
Following being ruled a flight risk, Ronaldinho and his brother were detained in a Paraguayan jail, leaving room for investigations which under the State's law, take six months.
He spent his 40th birthday behind bars.
On April 1, 2020, the former AC Milan and Barcelona star along with his brother were then moved from jail into house arrest after they paid $1.6 million in bail.
The Judge ruled the pair would be allowed to stay at the Palmaroga Hotel in Asuncion while they anticipated trial. They would also be allowed to receive visitors.
