Ronaldo in transvestite probe
Reuters - Tuesday 29 April 2008, 01:58
Police said on Monday
they were investigating allegations by three transvestites that
Brazilian soccer star and AC Milan forward Ronaldo threatened
to harm them after he took them to a Rio de Janeiro motel.
Police told a news conference they were also looking into
an accusation by the 31-year-old player that one of the three
men tried to extort 50,000 reais ($29,600) in return for not
telling the media about the incident.
Ronaldo, who is back in his hometown recovering from an
injury, left a nightclub in the posh Barra da Tijuca
neighborhood early on Monday with three call girls, only to
find out at the motel they were men, according to
authorities.
He then offered each of them 1,000 reais ($592) to wrap up
the matter, but only two of them accepted his offer, police
said.
"I have to check both sides of the story, the
transvestites' version and Ronaldo's," Carlos Augusto Nogueira,
chief of the police precinct investigating the incident, told a
news conference.
"Ronaldo said he is not good in the head and that he is
going through psychological problems because of his recent
surgery," he said.
In a statement, Ronaldo said he was a victim of extortion
and would take all possible steps to clear his name, according
to the Web site of the Globo television network.
Representatives for Ronaldo were not immediately available
for comment.
The three-time World Player of the Year suffered a
career-threatening knee injury in February in a match against
Livorno. Ronaldo suffered a similar injury in his right knee
when playing for Inter Milan in 2000.
(Reporting by Rodrigo Viga Gaier; Writing by Elzio Barreto;
Editing by Eric Walsh)
LINKS
Feb 15: NEWS Milan quiet on new Ronaldo contract
Feb 15: NEWS Brazil president urges Ronaldo not to give up
Feb 14: SERIE AAAAARGH! Tears of Ronaldo show the end is nigh
Feb 14: THE NOISE FROM BRAZIL The end of Ronaldo? Don't bet on it
Feb 14: GALLERY Ronaldo's rollercoaster career
Feb 14: NEWS Ronaldo suffers serious knee injury
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