Ronaldo denies using drugs in night out with transvestites

RIO DE JANEIRO, April 29 (Xinhua) -- In a statement released on Tuesday in Rio, Milan's forward Ronaldo stressed that he does not use drugs, unlike what was said on Monday by Brazilian prostitute Andrea Albertino, who also charged the player with refusing to pay for her service after acknowledging that she was actually a transvestite.

The athlete argued that the police have not yet registered any official charge against him, which relieves him from the duty to return to the precinct.

Instead, the statement claims that Ronaldo believes he was the victim of an attempt of extortion, as Albertino allegedly asked for 50,000 reais (29,700 U.S. dollars) in order not to call the police or the press.

At the precinct on Monday, the forward admitted to having gone out with Albertino and two other transvestites on Sunday evening because he needed "to have fun and relax", and thought they were female prostitutes. When he acknowledged the truth, he cancelled the service, offering 1,000 reais (595,200 U.S. dollars) to each.

According to Albertino, Ronaldo refused to pay for the service or the drugs consumed by the group that evening in a hotel room in the Barra da Tijuca district, Rio's west zone. She added that she left the hotel to buy more drugs and, when she returned, the other two prostitutes were gone, and Ronaldo told her that they had robbed him.

However, one of the other two transvestites involved in the case, Carla Tamini, told the police on Tuesday that Albertino tried to extort money from Ronaldo, confirming his version of the story. Police Chief Carlos Augusto Pinto stressed that he will only decide whether he will investigate the case after listening to all the parties involved in it.