Gonçalo Amaral interview in English

http://www.the-news.net/cgi-bin/google.pl?id=970-2

Exclusive in English: Former ‘Maddie Cop’ interview
2/8/2008

In an interview staged only a short walk from the regional PJ police headquarters in Faro over the weekend, Gonçalo Amaral, the former leading detective in the case involving the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, has an open and frank conversation with The Portugal News. Lambasted by the British media, and ignored by much of the Portuguese written press since the launch of his controversial book last week (which the Correia da Manhã newspaper has assisted in promoting), Gonçalo Amaral explains his reasoning behind certain methods of investigation, and stresses his actions to date have not been to accuse anyone, rather, he argues, his focus has been about the pursuit of truth.

The Portugal News: Did you leak information about the investigation to the media?

Gonçalo Amaral: I never had anything to do with leaks. We have to look at from where these leaks could have originated. A number of entities worked with us during the investigations and we cannot rule out the possibility that some of these leaks originated in Britain. As a matter of fact, when the FSS handed over their report to Portuguese police, we kept it under wraps, but a British daily was the first to appear with extracts of the FSS’s findings.

TPN: But how does that explain that some sections of the Portuguese press have printed confidential information that later proved to be accurate?

GA: Perhaps they had good sources of information, but we cannot conclude that they were given information by police in the Algarve.

TPN: The report leaked last week says that Gerry and Kate were made arguidos on the “merest possibility” that they were involved in the disappearance of their child. Is that accurate?

GA: They were made arguidos on suspicion of two crimes: concealing a body and simulating an abduction and potentially the crime of abandonment. But saying they were made arguidos on the merest possibility that they were involved in the disappearance of their child is not true. The conclusions reached by the team investigating the crime, including colleagues in Britain, are the same as the five points I mention at the end of my book. Perhaps the conclusions reached in this latest report were made to facilitate the archiving of the case and findings were put across in a mild manner. Once you gain access to the case files, you will find that it was not due to a mere possibility.

TPN: What do we know about Madeleine’s disappearance?

She was here on holiday. There is obviously no doubt that Madeleine existed. There is also no doubt that she went missing. The scheme employed to visit the children does, to a large extent, not correspond with the truth, it was probably used to safeguard the view that the children were safe [in the apartments on their own as their parents dined at the Tapas restaurant].

TPN: How often were the children checked upon?

GA: One of the first lines of the investigation was to interview the party that was on holiday with the McCanns to establish this.

TPN: What did you find at the apartment?

No signs of forced entry. There were no signs of glove marks on the window. We compiled a report of the evidence we collected, but we are not here to accuse anyone.

TPN: Do you think more could have been done before archiving or closing the case?

GA: In my opinion, a number of things are still lacking: We should have continued investigating the parents in order to either charge them or rule them out as suspects. If I represented this couple, I would have insisted that police investigations continue. Not everything we do is to incriminate a suspect. Often a phone will be tapped in order to obtain information that will clear a suspect.

We worked long hours discussing a number of potential explanations for Madeleine’s disappearance; we did not insist solely that she had been abducted.

TPN: You say that politics prevented you from doing certain things during the investigation. What were those actions you would like to have taken?

GA: I found the intervention of the [then] British Ambassador strange, as besides the British Consul in Portimão already being involved in the case from the first morning of Madeleine’s disappearance, all diplomatic channels had been opened and were functional. With the arrival of the Ambassador, my colleagues and I thought it was odd, and to a certain extent made us feel limited in our investigations.

TPN: Did you ever receive orders to investigate in a certain manner?

GA: No we did not receive any orders. I don’t like talking about orders. But we felt limited.

TPN: Did the police offer a plea bargain to Kate McCann?

GA: No.

TPN: But did you not suggest she consider a plea bargain?

GA: We only explained the nature of certain crimes. Her lawyer was there, you can ask him.

TPN: Did Kate and Gerry McCann answer all the questions that you posed to them as fully as possible?

GA: Up until being declared an arguido, Kate, at the request of her lawyer, co-operated. When questions became of a nature that could incriminate her, she was made an arguido, her rights and duties were read out to her in English and thereafter she opted for the right to remain silent.

TPN: And Gerry McCann?

GA: He answered all questions, before and after being made an arguido.

TPN: When did the police first learn of the intention of the McCanns to leave Portugal?

GA: With the arrival of the sniffer dogs, I think back in August, the couple started showing a keenness to leave the country. As for these dogs, I have not seen or heard any scepticism in Britain, contrary to Portugal.

TPN: How can you explain the theory that Kate and Gerry used their hire car in the disappearance of their daughter when it was hired 25 days after she vanished?

GA: I don’t know. I was not the one who hired the car.

A bodily fluid was detected in the trunk of the car which was similar to that of Madeleine McCann in 15 of the 19 indicators of her profile.

TPN: Has this evidence been investigated further?

GA: No.

TPN: Why not?

GA: You will have to ask my former colleagues that question.

TPN: What evidence was there that someone had been watching apartment 5A prior to Madeleine’s disappearance?

GA: We spoke to a number of people who came forward.

TPN: Anyone suspicious mentioned in these statements?

GA: No. Perhaps just a British musician we later tracked down.

But in a reconstruction, witness testimonies, such as that of Jane Tanner and others, including restaurant workers, could be clarified further.

TPN: At what stage did you become suspicious of the McCanns and why?

GA: There were a number of inconsistencies detected during the first interrogations.

TPN: Such as?

GA: We were initially told by the parents that when they checked on the children they would use the front door. But Kate later said they used the other door. Because had they used the front door, they would have detected someone had forced their way into the room [where Madeleine and the twins had been sleeping].

But during these initial rounds of questioning, my team and I believed these inconsistencies were due to the McCanns and their friends trying to cover the fact they had left their children unattended, along with their possible lack of trust in the Portuguese police. This had a lot of weight for me in the beginning, especially as the law in Britain is far tougher concerning the abandoning of children.

TPN: Did you look into sex offenders, and what was the outcome?

GA: It is very difficult that a paedophile pre-selected Madeleine. It had to be very well planned. But all known sexual predators were investigated.

TPN: Did you have any evidence that Robert Murat and the McCanns or their friends knew each other previous to Madeleine’s disappearance?

GA: We tried to confirm this, but along with the assistance of the British police, we were unable to establish any connection. But we looked into all possibilities. Robert Murat purchased a last-minute ticket to come to Portugal a couple of days before Madeleine went missing, perhaps as it was cheaper to do so. But we had to investigate whether or not his visit coincided with Madeleine’s disappearance a couple of days later and whether he had been contacted to come here.

TPN: How do you see the lawsuit that you might face over your book?

GA: My book is based on facts. It could be a good occasion to take all the case files to court and compare what I wrote with that which is contained in the files.

TPN: What next lies ahead for you?

GA: I have had a number of proposals, but in October I am intending on starting my practical training as a lawyer, as I already have a law degree, but never practised.

Brendan de Beer

Edition: 970

http://www.the-news.net/cgi-bin/google.pl?id=970-2

Madeleine McCann: Correio da Manha articles in English

Articles published by the Portuguese journal Correio da Manha are available in translation on the Joana Morais blog. Translations by Joana and Astro.

http://joana-morais.blogspot.com/

Some recent titles:

Kate tried to hide twins’ tantrums - Correio da Manhã

McCanns Pressured Judiciary Police

Gonçalo Amaral Admits That Investigators Protected the McCanns

PJ report vs. Amaral's book - a comparison in three parts

Kate tried everything to accuse Robert Murat- Correio da Manhã

Policeman irritates Kate for not offering coffee - Correio da Manhã

Kate managed the news and controlled the English - Correio da Manhã

Madeleine McCann: Reversed Investigation

The Truth of The Lie by Francisco Moita Flores

Kate McCann Forced Political Pressure on the Investigation

Here is the link again:

http://joana-morais.blogspot.com/

Thank you, Joana and Astro for all the work that's obviously gone into making these articles available in English.

SOS Madeleine McCann: Secrecy of justice blocks access to some parts of the Madeleine McCann files

http://sosmaddie.dhblogs.be/

30/07/08

Secret de Justice bloque l’accès à une partie des dossiers de l’enquête Madeleine

Le cabinet du Procureur public (PGR) a confirmé aujourd’hui que “certaines informations” contenues dans les dossiers d’enquête à la disparition de Madeleine McCann vont rester sous couvert du secret de justice.

The office of the Public Prosecutor (PGR) confirmed today that, "certain information," contained in the investigation files into Madeleine McCann's disappearance will remain covered by the secrecy of justice.

Un porte-parole du cabinet du Procureur-Général de la République (PGR) à confirmée que le juge Pedro Frias, responsable de l’affaire Madeleine, a reçu et accepté une demande de maintenir confidentielles, sous secret de justice, certaines informations bien spécifiques.

Le porte-parole du cabinet du PGR a également souligné que les détails qui vont rester sous secret de justice “ne sont pas considérés comme preuve”. Le cabinet du PGR n’a pas voulu identifier qui était à l’origine de la demande de manutention du secret de justice.

A spokesperson for the office of the Attorney General of the Republic (PGR) confirmed that the judge, Pedro Frias, responsible for the Madeleine case, received and accepted a request to keep confidential certain very specific information, under the secrecy of justice.

The spokesperson for the PGR also stressed that the details which would remain under the secrecy of justice, "are not considered as evidence." The office of the PGR did not wish to identify who was behind the request to maintain the secrecy of justice.

New evidence could clear death row inmate Rodney Reed.

I am very pleased to read that there is new evidence which could finally clear Rodney Reed, who has been on death row in Texas since 1998 and I send my very best regards to Rodney and to his mother, Sandra Reed, who has worked tirelessly to clear her son's name since his conviction. Good luck Rodney and Sandra.

Who is Rodney Reed?

http://www.freerodneyreed.org/who.html

"Rodney Reed has been on Texas’ death row since 1998. He was convicted for the 1996 murder of Stacey Stites in the small town of Bastrop. Stacey’s brutal murder struck at the very heart of the community, not only for its brutality, but for the sinister chain of events it would set into motion. Rodney’s case is a troubling mixture of prosecutoral misconduct, police corruption, poor defense, and institutional racism. Evidence of Rodney’s innocence is overwhelming and the need for a new trial is indisputable.

Rodney was convicted on the basis of one piece of evidence. His DNA was found in a semen sample taken from Stacey’s body at the scene of the crime. Conventional wisdom would suggest such evidence is the nail in the coffin of any capital murder case, not least of all one including an alleged rape. However, Rodney’s court-appointed attorneys (two African American lawyers afraid to spend nights in a small Texas town like Bastrop) neglected to provide witnesses who would testify that Rodney and Stacey were engaged in a sexual relationship at the time of her tragic death. No other evidence in the case connected Rodney to Stacey or the crime scene. Yet, Rodney, his family, and his supporters would soon learn that evidence of a Black man engaged in sexual relationship with a white woman in a small Texas town would be more than enough to frame him for murder and send him to death row.

Stacey was also engaged to Giddings police officer Jimmy Fennell at the time of her murder. Witnesses would later testify – both inside and outside the courtroom – that Fennell had a violent temper and was prone to jealousy. During one of Rodney’s appeals, a fellow police academy graduate would swear under oath that she heard Fennell say he would strangle his girlfriend with a belt (in order to hide fingerprints) if she ever cheated on him. Stacey’s recorded cause of death was strangulation with a belt. Shortly following Stacey’s murder, Fennell was transferred to the Georgetown Police Department just north of Austin. Last year, a grand jury indicted him on abduction and sexual assault charges. The alleged victim was a woman in his custody."

An article in the Austin Chronicle, dated July 25th reports on new evidence submitted to the Court of Criminal Appeals on July 16th, which could clear Rodney.

"In a writ filed with the Court of Criminal Appeals on July 16, attorneys for death row inmate Rodney Reed are arguing that new evidence uncovered about the conduct of victim Stacey Stites' police-officer fiancé bolster Reed's claim of innocence. In court filings, Reed attorney Bryce Benjet tells the court not only that a witness has come forward to confirm that Reed and Stites were having an affair prior to her death, but also that there is additional evidence regarding Jimmy Fennell's apparent proclivity toward sexual violence."

The Austin Chronicle

Enfants Kidnappés 30/07/08: Was Madeleine Abducted?

Enfants Kidnappés

30/07/08

Madeleine a été enlevée ? Dans de nombreux forums on peut lire des commentaires à propos du délai qu'ont mi les parents à prévenir les forces de l'ordre de la disparition de Maddie. Certes, le fait que la presse britannique fut très vite avertie n'est pas normal. Tout comme il n'est pas normal que le Directeur de la PJ soit dérangé en plein dîner à Lisbonne par la diplomatie britannique lui demandant s'il était au courant de la disparition alors que la PJ n'était pas encore contactée à ce sujet !! Cependant, le fait que les amis du couple et Gerry, à l'exception de Kate qui est restée à discuter avec une amie, aient d'abord cherché Maddie dans les environs, me semble indubitablement logique. Il est tout à fait naturel que l'on cherche d'abord son enfant dans les environs avant d'avertir la police. L'enfant s'est peut-être tout simplement égaré. Seule, Kate parlait déjà de la thèse de l'enlèvement.

Was Madeleine abducted?

On many forums we can read about the parents' delay in informing the police about Madeleine's disappearance. Certainly, the fact that the Brirish press was very quickly alerted is not normal. In the same way, it is not normal that the PJ Director should be disturbed in the middle of having dinner in Lisbon by a British diplomat asking him if he was aware of the disappearance while the PJ had not yet been contacted on the matter. However, the fact that the couple's friends and Gerry, with the exception of Kate who stayed to talk with a friend, had first of all looked for Maddie in the immediate vicinity, seems to me to be undoubtedly logical. It is totally natural that someone should first look for his child in the vicinity before alerting the police. The child could simply have wandered off. Only Kate was already talking about the idea of abduction.

Que fait la police ?

La police, une fois avertie d'une disparition d'un enfant de l'âge de Maddie, se rend immédiatement sur les lieux. Sur place, les policiers prennent contact avec la famille et essaye d'obtenir une description précise de la fillette ainsi qu'une photo. Les policiers cherchent, dans un premier temps à éliminer diverses hypothèses toutes simples. A moins qu'un ou plusieurs éléments ne viennent étayer la thèse d'un crime quelconque, c'est la piste de l'incident qui est privilégié. On interroge de façon informel la famille, les amis, les passants etc. Ainsi on cherche à savoir si l'enfant aurait pu sortir de sa chambre. On cherche à savoir si d'autres enfants manquent auquel cas on pourrait supposer qu'ils soient ensemble quelque part. On demande aux amis si l'enfant n'est pas dans leur chambre respective. Ce n'est que plus tard que l'on se rendra compte dans les auditions prisent par la PJ que les amis n'ont pas été voir si leurs enfants étaient toujours là et qu'ils n'ont pas vérifiés si Maddie était dans une de leur chambre.

What do the police do?

Once the police have been alerted to the disappearance of a child of Maddie's age, they immediately go to the scene. Once there, the police make contact with the family and try to obtain a clear description of the little girl as well as a photo. In the first instance, the police officers seek to eliminate various simple hypotheses. Unless one or several elements are present to support any crime, the procedure for an incident is followed. The family, the friends, passers-by etc are questioned informally. Thus they try to find out if the child could have left her bedroom. They try to find out if other children are missing in which case it could be supposed that they were together somewhere. The friends are asked if the child is not in their rooms. It is only later that it is realised during the hearings by the PJ that the friends have not been to see if their children are still there and that they have not checked to see if Maddie is in one of their rooms.

Les policiers se basent sur les déclarations de tous sans mettre en doute leur véracité. On parle, ici, d'un enfant perdu, pas encore d'un crime. Il n'y a donc aucune raison valable de mettre en doute les propos recueillis. Si on leur dit que les chambres ont été vérifiées, la police n'y passe pas afin de contrôler. Chaque minute compte. Il s'agit toujours d'une enfant perdue. Si les premières recherches sont vaines, la police demande du renfort en homme afin d'organiser un ratissage plus large. On entre dans l'hypothèse de l'accident. A cet instant et pour autant qu'aucun éléments ne permettent de penser le contraire, on cherche une enfant victime d'un accident. Peut-être est-elle tombée dans un ravin, une rivière proche, une cave, par une taque d'égout etc... Le ratissage commence. Si, au bout de la première phase du ratissage, aucune trace ou indice du passage de l'enfant ne peut-être trouvé, on entre dans la phase dite de "disparition inquiétante". C'est à ce moment que la police, en l'occurrence la GNR, fait appel à un service plus spécialisé, dans le cas qui nous occupent, la PJ. A partir de là, toutes les hypothèses seront étudiées, analysées, comparées et tous les mobiles possibles seront envisagés. C'est à ce moment que l'on peut envisager un périmètre de sécurité mais, hélas, trop tard dans ce cas-ci. En effet, l'appartement des parents a déjà été contaminé par un va et vient continu. Par des dizaines de personnes qui sont entrées et sorties de la chambre. Sans compter le fait que le ménage avait été fait dans la chambre avant l'arrivée de la police

The police work with the statements from everyone without doubting their truthfulness. We are talking here about a lost child and not yet about a crime. There is therefore no valid reason to doubt the statements collected. If they are told that the rooms have been checked, the police don't go and check. Every minute counts. It is still about a lost child. If the initial searches find nothing, the police request reinforcements to organise a wider sweep. The idea of an accident is considered. From that time and as long as no other elements suggest the contrary, the search is for a child who is the victim of an accident. Perhaps she has fallen into a gully, a nearby river, a cellar, through a sewer manhole etc...The sweep begins. If at the end of the first phase of sweeping, no trace or clue as to where the child has gone is found, the phase called, "worrying disappearance," begins. This is when the police, in this case the GNR, call upon a more specialised service, which in the case we are concerned with is the PJ. From then on every hypothesis is studied, analysed, compared and all possible motives will be considered. This is the time when a security perimeter could be considered but, alas, too late in this case. In fact the parents' apartment has already been contaminated by continuous comings and goings, by dozens of people going in and out of the room, without taking into account that cleaning had been done in the room before the police arrived.

A ce stade de l'enquête, la PJ va procéder à de nombreuses auditions. Va continuer à organiser une battue. Va relever les indices et les contradictions dans les témoignages. Il s'agit de procéder par élimination. On "ferme les portes" comme on dit au sein de la police. Ce principe consiste à vérifier chaque piste jusqu'à ce quelle conduise à une impasse. On peut donc dire que la porte de cette piste est fermée.

At this stage of the investigation, the PJ will proceed to countless hearings. They will continue to organise a search. They will look at the clues and contradictions in statements. They will proceed by elimination. We "close the doors," as the police say. The idea is to check every lead until it comes to a dead end. It can then be said that the door to that lead is closed.

Des détectives à la rescousse.

Il existe une multitude d'agences de détectives de tous poils. En règle générale, ces agences fonctionnent principalement sur des enquêtes simples. Filature de mari/femme infidèles, recherche d'antécédents d'associés, recherche de famille, recherche de descendance etc etc. Tous les détectives, un tant soi peu professionnels, vous le diront: "Dès que l'enquête devient compliquée ou dangereuse ou côtoient des milieux illégaux, bref dès que l'on sort d'un contexte d'enquête simple, l'affaire est transmise à la police qui prend le relais". Rappelons que nos lois n'autorisent pas les détectives à être armé. Ceci explique peut-être cela. Parfois, derrière la façade d'agence de détectives, se cache une organisation criminelle. Pratiquant le chantage, l'intimidation, les écoutes illégales, l'espionnage industrielle etc. etc. Ceci m'amène à parler de l'agence espagnole, Metodo3. Certains détectives de cette agence sont suspectés d'extorsions et d'une tentative d'homicide durant leur travail pour le couple McCann. Nous passerons sous silence le détective impliqué et arrêté pour trafic de drogue. Toutefois nous restons perplexes quant au fait que cette agence paye des témoins afin qu'ils déclarent avoir vu Madeleine comme le révèle SOS Maddie!

Detectives to the rescue.

There is a multitude of detective agencies of all kinds. As a rule, these agencies work mainly on simple investigations. Tailing an unfaithful husband/wife, background research on associates, family research, genealogy, etc etc. All detectives, those who are a little professional, will tell you: "As soon as the investigation becomes complicated or dangerous or verges on the illegal, in short when it stops being a simple investigation, the case is forwarded to the police who take over." Remember that our laws do not authorise detectives to be armed. That perhaps explains it. Sometimes, a criminal organisation is hidden behind the facade of a detective agency, practising blackmail, intimidation, illegal wiretapping, industrial espionage etc etc. This leads me to talk about the Spanish agency, Metodo3. Certain of that agency's detectives are suspected of extortion and attempted murder in the course of their work for the McCann couple. We will pass over without comment on the detective implicated for drug trafficking. All the same, we are still perplexed about the fact that this agency pays witnesses to state they have seen Madeleine as revealed by SOS Maddie.

Soit Madeleine a été enlevée, et dans ce cas l'attitude de Metodo3 est criminelle. Le fait de prétendre que Madeleine est à tel ou tel endroit, sur base de faux témoignages payés par leurs soins, les rends complices de l'enlèvement. Si Maddie à été enlevée, leurs témoignages ne fait que brouiller les pistes et c'est criminelle. Moi, à la place des parents, je les révoque sur le champ.

Soit Madeleine n'a pas été enlevée et est bien morte par accident dans l'appartement des parents et dans ce cas, l'attitude grotesque de Metodo3 n'a pas d'autre but que d'essayer de rallier une partie de l'opinion publique à la thèse défendue par les parents, en essayant de faire croire que Maddie est en vie quelque part. Et dans ce cas on peut se demander pourquoi vouloir manipuler l'opinion publique? Quelle vérité doit être cachée ?

Right, Madeleine was abducted and in that case, the attitude of Metodo3 is criminal. The act of claiming that Madeleine is at such and such a place, on the basis of false witness statements paid for by them, renders them complicit in the abduction. If Madeleine was abducted, their witness statements only blurr the tracks and that is criminal. If I were in the parents' place I would dismiss them on the spot.

Right, Madeleine was not abducted and indeed died by accident in the parents' apartment and in that case, the ludicrous attitude of Metodo3 has no other objective than trying to win over a section of public opinion to the idea defended by the parents, in trying to make people believe that Maddie is alive somewhere. And in that case we may wonder why they want to manipulate public opinion? What truth must be hidden?

La loi McCann

Clarence Mitchell porte-parole des parents McCann a déclaré que les journaux qui publiaient des contenus du livre de Gonçalo Amaral, la vérité du mensonge, étaient très courageux ou très stupide. Laissant sous entendre que les procès risquaient de tomber ainsi que les dommages et intérêts qui vont de pair. Ainsi Clarence Mitchell veut museler tous ceux qui ont une opinion différente de celle officielle des parents. Les forums et blogs en tous genres pourraient être leur prochaine cible. Que Monsieur Mitchell se souvienne que nous sommes dans un état de droit et non pas sous une dictature. Les gens ont le droit d'exprimer une opinion et de donner leur point de vue même s'il n'entre pas dans la ligne des McCann. Comme la précisé le rédacteur le chef du Correio da Manha, il existe la liberté d'expression qui, sans offenser personne, permet encore d'écrire et de dires des choses différentes que celles dîtes par les McCann et par Clarence Mitchell.

The McCann law.

Clarence Mitchell, spokesperson for the McCann parents, has stated that journals which publish the contents of Gonçalo Amaral's book, "The Truth of The Lie," were very brave or very stupid, implying that legal action could follow as well as damages and compensation that go hand-in-hand. Thus, Clarence Mitchell wants to muzzle all those who hold a different opinion to the parents' official one. Forums and blogs of all kinds could be their next target. Mr Mitchell should remind himself that we are in a state of law and not under a dictatorship. People have the right to express an opinion and to state their point of view even if it does not fall into line with the McCanns. As the editor in chief of Correio da Manha makes clear, there exists freedom of expression which, without offending anyone, still allows the writing and saying of different things to those said by the McCanns and by Clarence Mitchell.

Rappelant à Monsieur Mitchell, qui semble en avoir besoin, que l'archivage du dossier n'est pas une déclaration d'absolution. Cet archivage ne blanchit pas les parents rappel Gonçalo Amaral. De fait, monsieur Mitchell, faire la guerre à tous ceux qui parlent autrement que vous, qui tiennent un autre discours que ce soit sur les forums, dans les journaux ou sur les blogs est une utopie. Les lois étant différentes d'un pays à l'autre, Mr Mitchell va très vite être confronté aux mêmes problèmes que la police pour lutter contre les sites pédophiles. Il est presque impossible d'arriver à faire museler tous ces sites. Certes, guider par l'argent, peut-être essayera-t-on de faire un exemple au R-U. De récolter un peu plus d'argent encore. Argent qui ira au Fonds pour sauver Madeleine, bien sûr. Fonds qui doit servir à ne laisser aucune pierre retournée. Sauf, peut-être celle de la reconstitution. Qu'avait-on peur de trouver sous cette pierre ? Peut-être justement... LA VERITE. Alors que les parents se plaignent de ne plus être partis en vacances depuis la disparition de Madeleine, Clarence Mitchell veut se battre avec tous ceux qui ne tiennent pas le même langage que lui et les parents. Que d'énergie et de temps dépensé pour imposer son point de vue. Pour rien! Ne devrait-on pas dépenser cette énergie à retrouver Madeleine ou a-t-on déjà oublié ?

Reminding Mr Mitchell, who seems to need it, that the archiving of the case is not a statement of absolution. This archiving does not clear the parents Gonçalo Amaral reminds us. In fact, Mr Mitchell, making war on all those who speak otherwise than you, who say other things whatsoever on forums, in journals or on blogs is pie in the sky. The laws being very different from one country to another, Mr Mitchell will very quickly be faced with the same problems as the police in fighting against paedophile sites. It is almost impossible to manage to muzzle all these sites. Of course, led by money, perhaps he could try to make an example of the UK to collect a little more money. Money which would go into the fund to save Madeleine, of course. Funds which may help to leave no stone unturned, save perhaps that of the reconstruction. What is there to be afraid of finding under that stone? Perhaps only....THE TRUTH. While the parents complain about not having been on holiday since Madeleine's disappearance, Clarence Mitchell wants to battle with everyone who does not speak the same language as him and the parents. What energy and time spent to impose his point of view. For nothing! Shouldn't that energy be spent in finding Madeleine or has she already been forgotten?

SOS Madeleine McCann: Forums under attack. Blogs will be next.

26.07.2008

Les forums sous attaque, les blogues seront les prochains (I)

“Les 3 Arguidos” est un forum crée pour discuter le cas de Madeleine McCann. Il a été établi après que The Mirror – quotidien britannique proche des McCann — ait interdit de son forum n'importe quelle discussion en rapport avec le sujet. Jusqu'ici, “3A” a été un forum ouvert. Ceci signifie que tout le monde pouvait lire les commentaires, sans avoir besoin d’y être enregistré. Dorénavant, le contenue d'une partie du forum sera “fermée” aux membres non enregistrés. Pour lire les commentaires, vous devrez être membre. Les modérateurs de “3A” l’ont annoncé aujourd'hui :

"The 3 Arguidos," is a forum created to discuss the Madeleine McCann case. It was established after The Mirror - British daily close to the McCanns - had banned from its forum any discussion whatsoever concerning the subject. Until now, "3A," has been an open forum. That means that everybody could read the comments, without having to be registered there. From now on the contents of part of the forum will be, "closed," to non-registered members. To read the comments, you must be a member. The moderators of, "3A," announced this yesterday.

"CHANGEMENTS DANS LE FORUM APRÈS LE 26 JUILLET 2008"

“En raison du changement des circonstances quant au cas McCann, nous avons tenu une réunion et nous allons fermer les forums suivants, dorénavant accessibles uniquement aux membres enregistrés. Ces forums sont :

· Madeleine McCann — The Way Ahead

· Madeleine' s voice Forum

· The Reference Forum

· Justice for Maddy Forum

· Translations Forum

Tous les autres forums seront ouverts et visibles à tous les invités. Nous avons également décidé de supprimer toutes les membres non participantes, sans commentaires publiés. Tous ceux qui veulent s’y joindre maintenant doivent y faire au moins un commentaire, autrement votre compte sera considéré inactif et supprimé.”

"Ceci sera fait encore aujourd'hui et tous les membres devront maintenant ouvrir une session pour regarder ou commenter sur les forums en rapport avec Maddy sur le “the3arguidos.” “Merci de votre coopération dans le sujet et bienvenue à tous les nouveaux membres.”

CHANGES TO THE FORUM AS OF 26TH JULY 2008

Due to the change in circumstances with regards to the McCann case, we have held a meeting and we are going to close the following forums, from now on accessible only to registered members. These forums are:

Madeleine McCann - the way ahead.

Madeleine McCann — The Way Ahead

· Madeleine' s voice Forum

· The Reference Forum

· Justice for Maddy Forum

· Translations Forum

All other forums will be open and accessible for guests. We have also decided to delete all non-participating members, with no published comments. Anyone who wants to join now must post at least one comment, otherwise your account will be considered inactive and deleted.

This will be done today and all members must now sign in to read or comment on the forums concerning Maddy on, "the 3 Arguidos." Thank you for your cooperation in this matter and welcome to all new members.

SOS Madeleine McCann: the death of the investigation is announced.

Maddie : la mort annoncé de l’investigation

Le Ministère public portugais a archivé l´affaire Madeleine McCann, le 21 juillet passé, après plus d´un an d’enquête. Gonçalo Amaral, le responsable de la Police Judiciaire qui a dirigé les investigations dans les premiers cinq mois a été écarté l´année passée, en octobre. Il a pris sa retraite et publie aujourd´hui au Portugal un livre dans lequel il révèle des faits inédits et maintient sa conviction : Maddie “est morte dans l´appartement 5A de l´Ocean Club (…) la nuit du 3 mai de 2007” et ses parents ont engendré “une simulation d´enlèvement.”

The Portuguese Public Ministry archived the Madeleine McCann case on July 21st, after more than a year of the investigation. Gonçalo Amaral, the head of the PJ who led the investigations during the first five months was dismissed in October last year. He took his retirement and today, in Portugal, publishes a book in which he reveals (hitherto) unpublished facts and maintains his conviction: Maddie, "died in apartment 5A at the Ocean Club (....) on the night of May 3rd 2007," and her parents created, "a faked abduction."

Le 28 juin 2007, les McCann ont demandé l’accord de la Police Judiciaire (PJ), pour qu´un supposé spécialiste en localisation de cadavres vienne à Praia da Luz : le Sud-Africain Danie Krugel, “inventeur” d´une “machine” capable de localiser n´importe quels corps, utilisant uniquement quelques cheveux de la victime. L´équipe d´enquêteurs portugais et britanniques, qui depuis mai cherchait à savoir ce qu’était devenue Madeleine McCann, a reçu la demande du couple avec total surprise. La petite Anglaise, a disparu la nuit du 3 mai, pendant qu’elle dormait avec sa sœur Amélie et son frère Sean, dans l’appartement de vacances loué par ses parents situé dans un ressort touristique, l’Océan Club, à Praia da Luz, Algarve, la région le plus au sud du Portugal. Ses parents et un groupe de sept amis dinaient, dans un restaurant, à une centaine de mètres de distance, c´est d’ailleurs sa mère, Kate, qu’aux alentours de 22 h se rend compte que l´enfant avait disparu.

On June 28th 2007, the McCanns asked for the PJ's agreement, for a supposed expert in locating bodies to come to Praia da Luz: the South African Danie Krugel, "inventor," of a, "machine," capable of locating any body, using only a few of the victim's hairs. The team of Portuguese and British investigators, who had been trying to find out since May what had happened to Madeleine McCann, received the couple's request with total surprise. The little English girl disappeared on the night of May 3rd, while she was sleeping with her sister Amélie and her brother Sean, in the holiday apartment rented by her parents at the Ocean Club tourist resort in Praia da Luz, Algarve, the most southerly region in Portugal. Her parents and a group of seven friends were dining in a restaurant a hundred metres away. It was incidentally her mother, Kate, who at around 22h, realised that the child had disappeared.

Jusque-là, Gerry et Kate McCann insistaient sur la thèse que leur fille avait été enlevée, affirmant comme preuve le fait que les volets roulants de l´appartement avaient été forcés. La surprise des enquêteurs est décrite par Gonçalo Amaral, l´homme qui commandait l´enquête jusqu´au 2 octobre de l´an dernier, dans le livre “Maddie : La vérité du mensonge”, qui fut lancé hier à Lisbonne et auquel nous avons eu accès.

Until then, Gerry and Kate McCann were insisting on the idea that their daughter had been abducted, stating as proof the fact that the apartment's shutters had been forced. The investigators' surprise is described by Gonçalo Amaral, the man who led the investigation until October 2nd last year, in his book, "Maddie: The truth of the lie," which was launched yesterday in Lisbon and to which we have had access.

“Le couple admettait maintenant, ouvertement la mort de l´enfant, a l´inverse de ce qu´ils affirmaient publiquement”, écrit l´ex-investigateur de la PJ. Gonçalo Amaral a été écarté de l´enquête le 2 octobre, après qu’un journal portugais publie ses déclarations critiquant la police anglaise. Peu de temps après, il demande sa retraite anticipée afin de parler librement, rétablir son bon nom, jusque-là critiqué par les médias britanniques, et “contribuer à la découverte de la vérité”.

"The couple were now openly accepting the child's death, contrary to what they were stating publicly," writes the PJ ex- investigator. Gonçalo Amaral was dismissed from the investigation on October 2nd, after a Portuguese journal published his statements criticising the English police. A short time later, he requested early retirement in order to speak freely, to restore his good name, until then criticised by the British media, and to, "help to uncover the truth."

Dans le livre qui hier a été officiellement présenté, l´ex-investigateur de la PJ décrit, en détail les premiers mois de l´investigation, avec des milliers d´informations qui arrivait à la PJ donnant compte d’observations de la présence de Madeleine dans des pays a des milliers de kilomètres de distance, parfois dans des endroits différents, le même jour et à la même heure – le résultat d´une gigantesque campagne médiatique, monté par les parents, avec la contribution financière d´un groupe de millionnaires britanniques et le soutien du gouvernement anglais, y inclut le premier ministre, qui téléphone régulièrement de Londres au père de l´enfant.

In the book, which was officially presented yesterday, the PJ ex-inspector describes in detail the first months of the investigation, with thousands of reports arriving at the PJ, giving accounts of sightings of Madeleine in countries thousands of miles away, sometimes in different places, on the same day and at the same time - the result of a massive media campaign, mounted by the parents, with the financial help of a group of British millionaires and the support of the English government, including the Prime Minister, who telephoned the child's father regularly from London.

Tournant décisif

Après le voyage de Danie Krugel à Praia da Luz – sans succès — les policiers anglais qui accompagnaient l´investigation ont suggéré l´utilisation de deux chiens spécialement formés pour flairer l´odeur d’infimes particules de sang et détecter l´odeur de cadavre. L´enquête, explique Gonçalo Amaral, était arrivée à une impasse : il n´y avait aucun signe ou indice d´un enlèvement et ils ont décidé d´accepter l´offre anglaise. Au début juillet, Marc Harrison, un des plus qualifiés officiers britanniques, avec une large expérience dans en crimes de ce genre, arrive au Portugal. Pendant une semaine, Harrison a analysé le procès, de bout en bout, a parcouru le petit village de Praia da Luz à pied, a vérifié les distances, les parcours, et étudié les résultats des recherches antérieurs et analyse avec attention tous les témoignages, de tous les témoins.

Decisive turning point.

After Danie Krugel's trip to Praia da Luz - without success- the English police officers who were accompanying the investigation suggested the use of two dogs, specially trained to sniff the odour of minute particles of bloos and to detect the odour of corpses. The investigation, explains Gonçalo Amaral, had come to a standstill: there were no signs or evidence of an abduction and they decided to accept the English offer. At the beginning of July, Marc Harrison, one of the most highly skilled Britsh police officers, with broad experience in crimes of this kind, arrived in Portugal. For a week, Harrison analysed the procedure, from end to end, crossed the little village of Praia da Luz on foot, to check to distances and routes, and studied the results of the previous research and carefully analysed all the witness statements, of all the witnesses.

Le rapport des diligences effectuées par Mark Harrison, d´après Gonçalo Amaral, a présenté comme scénario le plus probable, l´hypothèse de que Madeleine était morte et a proposé un nouveau plan d´action pour l´investigation. Le 30 juillet, des équipes spéciales de la police britannique arrivent à l´aéroport de Lisbonne, avec les chiens Eddie et Keela. Le 3 août, le plan de travail suggéré par Harrison commence. Les nouvelles recherches ont permis d´obtenir des échantillons de sang et de cheveux dans le coffre de la voiture loué par les McCann. Les échantillons sont analysés dans un laboratoire britannique, le Forensic Science Service (FSS). Mais les résultats traînent, ou sont contradictoires ou inconclusifs. Dans le même rapport, souligne l’ex-investigateur, on confirme la présence de 15 des 19 marqueurs de l’ADN de Madeleine, dans les échantillons de la voiture, mais après ils expliquent que ça ne signifie pas que le sang rencontré soit de l´enfant.

The report on the work carried out by Mark Harrison, according to Gonçalo Amaral, presented as the most likely scenario, the idea that Madeleine was dead and proposed a new plan of action for the investigation. On July 30th special British police teams arrived at the airport in Lisbon, with the dogs Eddie and Keela. On August 3rd, the plan of operation suggested by Harrison began. The new research led to samples of blood and hair being obtained from the boot of the car rented by the McCanns. The samples were analysed in a British laboratory, Forensic Science Services (FSS). But the results were slow, or were contradictory or inconclusive. In the same report, the ex-investigator stresses, the presence of 15 out of 19 of Madeleine's DNA markers were confirmed in the samples from the car, but afterwards they explained that this did not mean that the blood matched that of the child.

Parfois, des choses surprenantes arrivent d´Angleterre. Fin aout, la police Anglaise informe la PJ que les McCann n’ont aucune carte de crédit ou de débit à leur nom ou utilisés par eux, ceci en réponse à une demande d’enquête faite par la PJ au mois de mai à la situation financière, sociale et familiale du couple et ses amis, révèle le livre de Gonçalo Amaral. Il s’agit de l’unique information obtenue par la PJ : “La réponse à cette demande n´est jamais venue, mais on savait que la police anglaise disait avoir un fichier complet”, écrit Amaral.

Sometimes, surprising things arrived from England. At the end of August, the English police informed the PJ that the McCanns had no credit cards or debit cards in their names or used by them. Gonçalo Amaral's book reveals that this was in response to a request from the investigation made by the PJ in the month of May about the financial, social and family situation of the couple and their friends. It was the only information obtained by the PJ: "The response to that request never came, but we knew that the English police were saying they had a complete file," Amaral writes.

Rupture finale

La décision d’interroger à nouveau le couple McCann est prise de commun accord et les questions sont élaborés au cours d’une réunion entre les enquêteurs portugais et anglais. Le 6, Kate McCann effectue le déplacement jusqu’aux installations de la PJ. Elle regarde la foule et les journalistes concentrées au centre de Portimão, “elle rit, franchissant la porte, en disant que c´était bon pour le tourisme” raconte l´ex-enquêteur.

Breaking point.

The decision to question the McCann couple again was taken by common agreement and the questions were worked out in the course of a meeting between the Portuguese and English investigators. On the 6th, Kate McCann went to the PJs establishment. She looked at the crowd and the journalists gathered in the centre of Portimao, "she laughs, going through the door, saying that it was good for tourism," the ex-investigator recounts.

Kate, pendant son interrogatoire, refuse de répondre aux questions des enquêteurs, mais son mari répond et rejette toute responsabilité dans la disparition.

Le 7 septembre, les deux sortent de la PJ avec le statut d’arguidos (suspects). C’est à ce moment-là que tout éclate : “Après les interrogatoires du couple et leur sortie du pays, ça a été la débandade finale de la police anglaise.” Ceci après avoir déterminé une stratégie commune, étant donné que l´enquête incluait la police de Leicester et la Scotland Yard : “poursuivre la consolidation des preuves à propos du crime d´occultation de cadavre et simulation de crime, en parallèle avec des diligences qui mèneraient à la localisation du cadavre de Madeleine,” indique Amaral.

During her interrogation, Kate refused to answer the investigators' questions, but her husband replied and denied all responsibility for the disappearance.

On September 7th, both left the PJ with status of arguidos (suspects). It was at the moment that everything broke: "After the couple's interrogations and their leaving the country, that was the final panic by the English police." This was after having worked out a common strategy, given that the investigation included the Leicester police and Scotland Yard: "to pursue the consolidation of evidence about the crime of concealment of a body and faking of a crime, in parallel with work that was being undertaken to find Madeleine's body," Amaral states.

Quelque temps après, en octobre, Amaral est écarté de l´enquête. Le nouveau responsable, Paulo Rebelo, envoyé de Lisbonne, après neuf mois arrive à la conclusion qu´il n´y pas assez de preuves que les trois suspects aient commis un crime. Beaucoup de questions restent sans réponses. Gonçalo Amaral avait déjà laissé des “indices”, dans une précédente interview, en disant “qu´il y a eu plus politique que de police”, dans cette affaire. Dans son livre, il éclaircit des faits, mais il laisse également quelques questions : “Quels sont les pouvoirs qui ont difficulté et nui à l´enquête ?”

A short time later, in October, Amaral was dismissed from the investigation. After nine months, the new head, Paulo Rebelo, sent from Lisbon, arrived at the conclusion that there was not enough evidence that the three suspects had committed a crime. Lots of questions remain unanswered. Gonçalo Amaral had already dropped, "clues," in a previous interview, saying, "there were more politicians than police," in that case. In his book, he clarifies these facts, but he also leaves a few questions: "What are the powers that have difficulty and hinder the investigation?"

Les super chiens – Saumon et air conditionné

Les dépenses annuelles avec Keela, la chienne entraînée pour renifler l’odeur du sang, s’ellevent à quelques 250.000 €. Le salaire annuel du chef de la police du South Yorkshire ne dépasse pas les 163.000 €.

Tel quel Eddie, capable de renifler la moindre odeur de cadavre, ces animaux voyagent uniquement à bord de voitures équipés avec l’air conditionné, ont un vétérinaire à leur coté 24 sur 24 et la base de leur alimentation consiste en saumon fumée.

The super dogs - salmon and air conditioning.

The annual expenses for Keela, the dog trained to sniff the odour of blood, bring in some €250,000. The annual salary of the chief of police for South Yorkshire is no more than €163,000.

Same with Eddie, capable of sniffing the slightest odour of a corpse. These animals only travel aboard cars equiped with air conditioning, have a vet by their side 24 hours a day and their diet is based on smoked salmon.

Les deux chiens ont une carrière remplie de succès, à un tel point qu'ils sont loués, par la police de South Yorkshire, à d’autres forces de police, au prix de 670 € par jour, sans compter les frais - tant des animaux que de leurs entraîneurs.

The two dogs have a highly successful career, any time they are hired, by the South Yorkshire police to other police forces, at a cost of €670 a day, not including expenses - those of the animals and their trainers.

Récemment, Eddie s’est illustré dans une nouvelle affaire de police ou il a détecté la présence de vestiges humains dans un ancien orphelinat de l'Ile de Jersey. Le chien a désigné six endroits, à l'intérieur du bâtiment, que la police britannique est occupée à vérifier. Grâce à l’utilisation du chien, les restes mortels du corps d'un enfant ont été trouvés, dans un de ces endroits, en dessous d'une plaque de ciment d’une épaisseur aux alentours des 10 centimètres. Néanmoins, le quotidien britannique The Telegraph publiait, le 17 septembre de l'année passée, que les avocats du couple McCann prétendaient utiliser, en défense de leurs clients, les décisions d'un tribunal américain qui n'a pas admis les preuves rassemblées avec le recours aux chiens, l'utilisation d'un chien avec un entraînement identique, comparant sa fiabilité au hasard.

Recently, Eddie won fame in a new police case where he detected the presence of human remains in a former orphanage on the Island of Jersey. The dog pointed out six places, inside the building, that the police set about checking. Thanks to the use of the dog, the mortal remains of a child's body were found, in one of these places, under a slab of cement of a thickness of around 10 centimetres. Nevertheless, on September 17th last year, the British daily newspaper, The Telegraph published that the McCann couple's lawyers were claiming to use, in their clients' defence, the decisions of an American court which did not accept the evidence gathered with the use of dogs, the use of a dog with identical training, his reliability appearing to be random.

Plus de politique que de police

"(...) eu sei que o vosso gabinete tem tomado um império sobre o nosso, mas sei também que já é tempo de acabar. Se os meus predecessores tiveram a fraqueza de vos conceder tudo quanto querieis, eu nunca vos concederei senão o que devo. É esta a minha ultima resolução; regulae-vos por ella (...)" *

{I haven't a clue what the above is about! I therefore paste here the Google translation:

“ I know that your firm took an empire on ours, but I also know it is time to end.If my predecessors have had the weakness to give you all how much you want, I can never again grant you what I do. It is this my last resolution; you deal with it (...)" - Letter from the Marquis de Pombal a Lord Chatam, the British government, in 1759, cited in the book of Gonçalo AMaral.}

Faute d’un politicien de la qualité du Marquis de Pombal, le gouvernement portugais n’a pas su donner aux Anglais la réponse qu’aurait pu apporter aux forces de police – aussi bien les Britanniques que les Portugaises – l’espace de manœuvre nécessaire pour mener à bien l’investigation sans s’inquiéter du “politiquement correct” ou de la diplomatie, c’est d'ailleurs ce que confirme Gonçalo Amaral dans son livre.

Without a politician of the Marquis de Pombal's quality, the Portuguese government did not know how to give the English the response which would have brought to the police forces - the British as well as the Portuguese - the manoeuvering space necessary to carry out a proper investigation without worrying about, "political correctness," or about diplomacy. This is anyway what Gonçalo Amaral confirms in his book.

L’ex-coordinateur de l’enquête à la disparition de Madeleine McCann confirme dans son livre, parfois dans les entrelignes, souvent en discours directe, le presence et l’ingérence de la diplomatie britannique dans le travail de la police.

Il fallait écarter Gonçalo Amaral, c’était devenu une priorité pour les McCann, leurs amis et ceux qui leur ont donné protection : en octobre, c’est d’ailleurs le premier ministre britannique en personne, Gordon Brown, qui prend contact téléphonique avec Prior Stuart, le responsable de la police de Leicester, pour vérifier si l’enquêteur avait bel et bien été écarté de l’investigation et des McCann.

à suivre...

The ex-coordinator of the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance confirms in his book, sometimes between the lines, often directly, the presence and interference of British diplomacy in the work of the police.

Gonçalo Amaral had to be dismissed. It had become a priority for the McCanns, their friends and those who had given them protection: in October, it was meantime, the British Prime Minister in person, Gordon Brown, who made telephone contact with Stuart Prior, the chief of Leicester police, to check if the investigator had well and truly been dismissed from the investigation and the McCanns.

To be continued.

http://sosmaddie.dhblogs.be/