Ronaldo's transvestite call-girl scandal

When Brazilian striker Ronaldo turned up at this hotel with three call girls expecting a spot of fun he didn't expect to make headline news.

The saga took centre stage after the trio told police that the striker threatened to harm them when it emerged they were male transvestites.

Now police in Rio de Janeiro say one of the men, Andre Luis Albertino, faces charges of theft and extortion accused of stealing a document belonging to the star, and demanding more than 27,000 dollars to keep the story secret.

SOUNDBITE: Police chief Carlos Augusto Nogueira saying (Portuguese):

"Ronaldo told me that he was not going to pay this money. 'I did nothing wrong', he said. ' I may be publicly denounced but I did nothing wrong'."

Police say Ronaldo offered the trio nearly 600 dollars each when he discovered they weren't the call girls he had in mind but only two accepted.

In a statement Ronaldo said he was a victim of extortion and would do whatever was necessary to clear his name.

Paul Chapman, Reuters

turn up

1. To increase the speed, volume, intensity, or flow of: Turn up the radio.

2.a. To find: She turned up the missing keys under her briefcase.

b. To be found: The papers will turn up sooner or later.

3. To make an appearance; arrive: Many old friends turned up at the reunion.

4. To fold or be capable of folding up: turning up his cuffs; cuffs that will turn up.

5. To happen unexpectedly: Something turned up, so I couldn't go.

6. To be evident: a sculptor whose name turns up in the art circles.
take center stage

to be the center of interest. Collecting food and clothes for disaster victims has taken center stage in our town. A new line of electric cars took center stage at the automobile show.