A judge has ruled former Brazilian international Ronaldinho Gaucho a flight risk and ordered him to remain in jail in Paraguay on Saturday.
The ex-FC Barcelona forward was arrested on Friday for attempting to enter Paraguay with a false passport two days earlier.
He spent Friday night in a police cell along with his brother and business manager Roberto Assis.
The pair asked to be released into house arrest but that was rejected by the judge, who also dismissed Assis’s claims to have a heart problem because he showed no proof.
Judge Clara Ruiz Diaz said their alleged offence was a “serious one against the interests of the Paraguayan state”.
“Because the pair posed a flight risk they must remain in custody,’’ she added.
Under Paraguayan law, officials now have six months to complete their investigation.
But Ronaldinho’s lawyers, who called the decision “incredible,” are expected to present an appeal in the coming days.
(Reuters/NAN)
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