SOS Madeleine McCann: the PJ were obliged to announce Madeleine's disappearance as an abduction.

John Buck, British ambassador in Lisbon, at the time of Madeleine McCann's disappearance, went to Portimao to demand that the PJ immediately announce to the media - above all the British - that Madeleine's disappearance was an abduction and that her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, were two innocent victims.

"Immediately after Madeleine's disappearance, while we didn't yet know if it was an abduction or another type of crime, the PJ were obliged to issue a press release, on May 5th 2007, publicly announcing the theory of abduction." Inspector Gonçalo Amaral accused yesterday, stressing that the announcement was made in spite of his opposition and that of other inspectors involved in the investigation.

Gonçalo Amaral was speaking yesterday in the context of an exclusive interview with SOS Madeleine McCann and Gazeta Digital.

According to sources close to the British ambassador in Lisbon, before his intervention with the PJ in Faro and Portimao, John Buck had already discussed the case with the Portuguese Minister for Foreign Affairs.

"In a situation like the one we were presented with, in the interests of the child, no possibility should have been ruled out, even that concerning the parents, the relatives and friends. Above all if there was not the slightest evidence of abduction," Gonçalo Amaral concluded, stressing that, "the continuing investigation proved it."

"They took advantage of the space we left for them. That was an error on our part."

It was also on May 5th 2007, two days after the announcement of Madeleine's disappearance, that the PJ, according to Gonçalo Amaral, were going to commit an important error: "we were busy checking leads that came from the ambassador. Leads that incidentally proved false."

New instructions from the regional and the national directorate of the PJ, given after the intervention of the two British diplomats - the ambassador John Buck and the consul Bill Henderson - diverted the attention of the investigators from the McCanns.

Kate and Gerry McCann, for the first and only time, then went to take clothes for washing at the complex's laundry, amongst them some of Madeleine's clothes, which the inspectors were not going to learn about until two days later. Too late, according to Gonçalo Amaral.

"At the time, we had no way of knowing exactly what clothes Gerry was wearing on the night of the disappearance or what clothes were given to be washed on May 5th," Gonçalo Amaral acknowledges.

It was through statements from several officials of the complex, linked to the laundry service, that the inspectors were to learn that the McCann had had some of the children's clothes washed, Madeleine's and also Sean's and Amelie's.

"That would never have happened without the intervention of Mark Warner and especially the ambassador. They took advantage of the space we left for them, which was an error on our part," Gonçalo Amaral admits.

"Last Saturday (5/05/2007) I received a bag of clothes brought by Mark Warner officials, which were expressly stated as belonging to Madeleine's family - there were adults' clothes (male and female) and children's (...)," one of the laundry supervisors stated.

If the laundry supervisor only admits to remembering about a pink skirt belonging to Madeleine, she is formally saying that there were indeed other of the little British girl's clothes, which a few work colleagues have elsewhere confirmed to the police.

To follow: "The dogs were prevented from following up their work in the United Kingdom."

The mysterious disappearance of Madeleine McCann - Georges Moréas

M. Moréas has updated his article and I have made a small amendment here to reflect that update. 31/08/08

Georges Moréas writing on his blog, "POLICEtcetera," has posted this very interesting article on Madeleine's disappearance.

http://moreas.blog.lemonde.fr/

Madeleine McCann, called Maddie, was nearly four years old. On the evening of May 3rd 2007, she disappeared from her bedroom in a luxury tourist complex, the Ocean Club, in the south of Portugal, where she was supposed to have been sleeping.

No one knows what has become of her since. Recently, the press echoed a statement from the Portuguese prosecutor: case closed. This news is probably unfounded. How can a magistrate, a police officer, allow the closing of a case without thinking of the victim, a child, almost a baby. And if she were alive!...The confusion comes, no doubt, from the order that there were no grounds to prosecute the three suspects.

THE FACTS: The Ocean Club tourist complex is a collection of buildings comprising a residential block, two restaurants, the Tapas and the Millennium, tennis courts, beach, etc.

On this evening, the McCanns are dining with their friends at the Tapas restaurant. At around 10pm, Kate McCann gets up from the table to go and see her children, as she usually does, to reassure herself that everything is fine. Her two little ones, the twins, are sound asleep, in their cots. Her daughter's bedroom door is not closed, which surprises her. She goes in: the window is open, the shutters are raised, Maddie has disappeared.

She rushes back to the restaurant to alert her husband. Together they go back to the apartment, accompanied by their friends, and they only arrive at the obvious. So, they set out to explore the surrounding area.

This is the situation discovered by the first police officers on the spot. Everything leads them to believe that the child has run off. She may not be far away. Searches are organised.

Shortly afterward, the PJ director for Lisbon, receives a call on his mobile phone from the British ambassador. His caller asks him if he is aware that a British child has disappeared.....He goes into action. You can imagine the torrent of phone calls that follows this intervention.

THE INITIAL FINDINGS: There is no disorder in the bedroom where the child was sleeping. The bed is not disturbed. There is no evidence of a break-in, neither on the window, nor on the shutters, nor on the door. A local enquiry turns up witnesses, Irish holiday-makers, who say that shortly after 10 o'clock, they saw a man carrying a child, whose description corresponds perfectly to Madeleine's: face, hair, clothes. Now there is hardly any doubt: this is an abduction. The alert is put out.

THE PJ'S INVESTIGATION: The PJ officers collect witness statements from hundreds of people, and as a priority, from the parents and their friends. Very quickly, they come across certain contradictions between them. For example, a woman states that she went past the apartment earlier in the evening and noticed that the bedroom shutters were closed. But, Kate McCann states the window was open and the shutters pushed up. And the investigators find no evidence of tampering.

Furthermore, the shutters can only be opened from the inside. Can you imagine an individual entering by the door, using a picklock, and going out through through the window, with his victim, after having opened the shutters? And also, the child's bed is not disturbed, as though no one has slept in it. Intrigued, the police officers examine the mobile phones of each of the McCanns: the call history has been erased. Astonishing to think of emptying the memory of your mobile phone when your child has just been kidnapped! But the PJ officers are struggling to do their job. The pressure quickly becomes unbearable.

Little Maddie disappeared on the Thursday evening. On the Friday, the British ambassador, John Buck, is on the spot, accompanied by big-shot police officers and lawyers. And on the Saturday, three British police officers arrive in their turn, in theory to assist their Portuguese colleagues. The contact is not good. The local police officers feel belittled. However, having been involved with the training of Portuguese police officers, I can guarantee that they have no reason to envy either the French or the British - except perhaps certain technical resources.

The working conditions are as follows: 150 Portuguese police officers, three British police officers, authorities, diplomats, and journalists...everywhere. Not the ideal for an investigation. On the Saturday, the PJ director from Faro, tells the press: "It is an abduction." At the same time the McCann couple launch their desperate appeal before the television cameras. It is even said that the police are holding a sketch of the kidnapper, but it will not be published to avoid putting the child's life at risk. A little late, no, to think of the young victim!

During this political, media-staged bustling, the head of the investigation, Commissioner Gonçalo Amaral begins to entertain another possibility. He thinks the McCanns' behaviour is not, "natural." Otherwise, why refuse to participate in a reconstruction of the evening? He finds that certain witness statements do not correspond and that it is becoming impossible to determine where anyone was at any time. Thus, an implausible detail emerges when the Irish witness indicates that after seeing Gerry McCann on television, he positively identified him: this was the man he saw with Maddie in his arms, on the Thursday, at around 10pm. Yes, but at that time, the child's father was in the restaurant with his friends...

Amaral is skeptical. He feels that there is a certain degree of connivance amongst this group of friends. Would they be lying? He goes back to the initial findings and he examines the places from a different angle - as he would do it for a crime scene. The little girl's death becomes the working hypothesis for the investigators.

EVIDENCE OR PRESUMPTIONS: A suspect is arrested. He is a British national living a hundred metres from the leisure centre. I will not give his name as he has taken action against newspapers which said, "certain things," about him, and the press barons backed down. It is said that he banked 750,000€.

Meanwhile, dogs trained to detect certain odours, notably those of blood or cadavers, are brought in. They detect traces inside the apartment, in the couple's bedroom and in the dining room; as well as outside the building. More disquieting, the dogs alert on the child's soft toy and on clothes belonging to her mother. The dogs are placed near a car rented by theMcCanns , and they sniff suspicious odours there too. But this vehicle was actually hired after the little girl's disappearance! On the other hand, the dogs detect nothing, either in the car of the British man under investigation, or at his home.

The vice tightens on the McCanns.

In the places marked by the dogs, minute organic fragments are gathered for DNA comparison with Madeleine's (from samples of saliva on her bed covers). The analyses are done in Great Britain. When the results come out, there is no longer any doubt: There are 15 identical markers in the two DNAs. It is the little girl.

At the beginning of September, the McCann couple are placed under investigation, but left at liberty. The press reports that they are suspected of having concealed their daughter's body after an accidental death - there is talk of the administration of a sedative that was too powerful (the parents are both doctors) - and that they would have got rid of it afterward by transporting it in a vehicle rented for that purpose.

Meanwhile, this case has taken on an international dimension. The McCanns have called the English Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the investigation is followed more closely by the governments of both countries. The press is unleashed. The parents set themselves up as the victims of a bigoted, even backward, police force. The British newspapers really lay into the investigators, who are looking at the parents instead of searching for the missing child. The English police officers, who are involved with the investigation (and who, in theory, have no power to intervene) do nothing to put things right. The public is gripped by this mysterious story - charged with emotion. A support fund is set up. Brian Kennedy, an American Millionaire offers his services.

He takes on the costs of the lawyers and the private investigators. It's even said that he goes to meet some of the witnesses. Does that have anything to do with the fact that afterward most of them refused to go back and participate in a reconstruction? The atypical Virgin boss also puts his hand in his pocket. It is interesting to note that all this energy, all this money, is essentially used to defend the suspects.

New DNA research is carried out by the forensic laboratories in Birmingham, taking the opposite view to the first evaluation. It is said that the samples harvested (by the Portuguese police) were allegedly mixed...

Commissioner Gonçalo Amaral requests another other evaluation. Impossible, the English tell him, the samples have been destroyed, or lost, we don't exactly know, by the laboratory.Amaral can't take any more. All this hooha , this persistent pressure from the bosses, political authorities, the media, is preventing him from working properly. He is taken to task, criticised, watched closely...Even his British colleagues are causing trouble for him. Exasperated, he lets go in the press. It is a mistake, because his bosses jump at the chance. He is transferred.

Gonçalo Amaral has written a book, "The Truth of the Lie," which is out now in Portugal. Bet there will be some interesting details in it. At least if it is translated into French. Will the press, already scalded by this case, pick up on it? Not certain! The McCanns have clearly implied that their lawyers were ready to take action.

To go back to the DNA, in France, unless I am mistaken, 13 identical markers between two DNA profiles, is sufficient in law. So, if the events had taken place here, first of all the evaluation would not have been done in Great Britain, but in a French laboratory, and then the McCanns would have been placed under investigation and most certainly placed in preventive detention - and only the judge would have been able to decided on a second evaluation.

Which goes to show that scientific evidence, even the most sophisticated, doesn't depend on a mathematical formula, but on human judgment.

THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE PARENTS: I must say that the behaviour of the McCanns compared to that of other parents placed in such a painful situation is....different. From the start, they looked down on the Portugiese police officers. They lied on certain points and right away, they looked for support from their country's authorities. As if they felt threatened! Were they caught up in the media machine? The support fund which they set up (and which can be found on Google's business pages) collected around 1.5 million euros. However, one of the first expenses incurred by that fund was to make two monthly payments concerning the purchase of their house. It is said that 600,000 euros was paid out to settle the fees of private detectives, who turned out to be crooks. One of them even stated that he had infiltrated a Belgian paedophile network... In their defence, they have guaranteed that they have not used that money to pay the fees of the lawyers who are covering their defence.

These folks have mobilised around themselves so many people, so many of the smart set we might say, from politics and business.....that we can only wonder. Are they part of a network? Of a lodge? Of a sect? Of a clan?....

THE STATE OF THE INVESTIGATION: The McCann couple not having requested the continuation of the investigation, it is officially over. As things stand, there is a 4 year-old kid, probably dead; and three suspects who have been let off. One, the neighbour, suspected because of his past, but against whom there seems to be no evidence; and the parents...

There is evidence that they lied in their first statements to the police, notably about how they spent their time, apparently in connivance with their friends. They couldn't explain the presence of traces of blood or cadaver odour, particularly in the vehicle they had hired, three weeks after the events. Even if in law the second DNA evaluation negates the first, it is not entirely convincing. The experts are happy to conclude that they cannot use the gathered samples they were sent, because they were contaminated. And even if we consider that the two evaluations were contradictory, which one should we believe? The destruction of the samples makes any confirmation impossible.

And after this hullabaloo, Maddie joins the long list of missing children.




CONCLUSION: Everyone can think what they like, but Portuguese law considers that there is no charge against anyone, not any proof, not any evidence. They have, "archived," the case, as they say there.

It is astonishing. But I believe it's a good way to start over in a more calm way. In fact, nothing is stopping the investigators from, "discreetly," continuing their investigations. Portuguese procedure allows the reopening of the case at any moment, if someone brings a new element to it.

What is striking in this case, is that there is a lot of talk about money and very little about the young victim. Finally, one of the suspects pocketed 750,000 € handed over by certain newspapers to avoid action for defamation, and the other two, the parents, have collected 1.5 million euros in a support fund. Not to mention the money spent by wealthy patrons. As for the Portuguese police officers, they were ridiculed.

It must stick in their throats....I'll bet they are not ready to forget it.

(With thanks to frencheuropean at the 3 Arguidos forum, for help with some of the idiomatic French in the text!)

SOS Madeleine McCann: Robert Murat, "categorically," manipulated in the McCann case.

SOS Madeleine McCann 13/07/08

Les enquêteurs portugais de la Police Judiciaire (PJ) ne sont pas arrivés à Robert Murat par hasard, ils y ont été conduits par une “machine” britannique bien huilée, où l’homme a été pointé du doigt par ses compatriotes avec un objectif que les inspecteurs ont tout de même fini par déjouer : il était l’appât vers qui la police et les médias étaient censés de regarder pendant que l’action, la vraie, était ailleurs.

The Portuguese investigators of the PJ did not happen upon Robert Murat by accident. They were led there by a well-oiled British, "machine," where the finger was pointed at the man by his compatriots with an objective which, the inspectors still ended up thwarting: he was the bait, in whose direction the police and the media were supposed to be looking while the real action was elsewhere.

Il est aujourd’hui certain que Robert Murat a plus de victime que de coupable, c’est du moins la conclusion à que la PJ est parvenue après les premiers interrogatoires au Britannique, pourtant avare en explications à propos de certains faits qui n’ont pas cessé d’intriguer les inspecteurs chargés des investigations.

It is now certain that Robert Murat is more victim than guilty party. That, at least is the conclusion arrived at by the PJ after the first interrogations of the British man, however lacking in explanations about certain facts which have not ceased to intrigue the inspectors in charge of the investigations.

Après 14 mois le Britannique garde encore le souvenir du jour où il a été amené par les inspecteurs vers les installations de la PJ a Portimão, où il a été interrogé pendant de longues heures en présence des agents de liaison de la police britannique, sans pourtant recevoir la moindre aide de son consul, Bill Henderson, ou des services du consulat, occupés avec Kate et Gerry McCann, les parents Madeleine, la petite fille de trois ans que les médias britanniques, en particulier le The Mirror, diront ressembler à sa propre fille. Même son ambassadeur, John Buck, très présent à Algarve pendant les jours qui ont suivi la disparition de Madeleine, ira l’ignorer pendant toute la durée de l’enquête, du moins en ce que concerne une éventuelle aide, que sa mère sera forcée de rechercher au pays natal et auprès d’un avocat portugais, maitre Francisco Pagarete.

A suivre...

After 14 months the British man retains the memory of the day he was taken by the inspectors to the PJ's offices in Portimao, where he was interrogated for many hours in the presence of liaison officers from the British police, without, however, receiving the least help from his consul, Bill Henderson, or the services of the consulate, who were busy with Kate and Gerry McCann, parents of Madeleine, the little three year-old girl whom the British media, in particular The Mirror, would say resembled his own daughter. Even his ambassador, John Buck, a strong presence in the Algarve in the days following Madeleine's disappearance, was going to ignore him for the duration of the investigation, at least concerning any possible help, which his mother would be forced to look for in her home country and from a Portuguese lawyer, Me Francisco Pagarete.

To be continued.

SOS Madeleine McCann 13/07/08

SOS Madeleine McCann: fifth British diplomat leaves office since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

Celia Edwards, British consul in Portimao has announced that she will leave her post. I have read elsewhere that Ms Edwards was leaving to pursue her career in law, but SOS Madeleine McCann cites, "family reasons." The two are not mutually exclusive: I just thought I'd mention the different quotes.

27.06.2008

Cinquième diplomate britannique à quitter fonctions après la disparition de Madeleine.

Celia Edwards, la consule britannique à Portimão, connue pour avoir accompagné Kate et Gerry McCann pendant leurs interrogatoires en septembre 2007, vient d’annoncer officiellement sa démission du poste qui occupait depuis moins d’un an au Portugal. Elle devient le cinquième fonctionnaire du Foreign Office à quitter ses fonctions après être intervenu dans l’affaire McCann.

Fifth British diplomat leaves post after Madeleine's disappearance.

Celia Edwards, British consul in Portimao, known for having accompanied Kate and Gerry McCann during their interrogations in September 2007, has just officially announced her resignation from the post she has held for less than a year in Portugal. She becomes the fifth Foreign Office officlal to leave their post after having intervened in the McCann case.

L’information a déjà été confirmée par le Foreign Office à Londres qui avance des raisons d’ordre familiales pour justifier le départ de la consule.

Avant elle, John Buck, ambassadeur, et Bill Henderson, consul, avaient également quitté leurs fonctions démissionnant. Le premier aout 2007, Celia Edwards remplace Bill Henderson, après que celui-ci avait créé la surprise annonçant sa démission.

The information has already been confirmed by the Foreign Office in London, who cite family reasons to explain the consul's departure.

Before her, John Buck, ambassador, and Bill Henderson, consul, had also left their posts through resignation. On August 1st 2007, Celia Edwards replaced Bill Henderson, after he had surprisingly announce his resignation.

Bill Henderson a quitté toute fonction auprès du Foreign Office et a pris sa retraite après avoir accompagné tous les rencontres entre les McCann et les inspecteurs de la Police judiciaire.

Plus tard, c’est l’ambassadeur britannique à Lisbonne, John Buck, qui met fin à sa carrière, le 10 septembre 2007, le lendemain de la fuite de Kate et Gerry McCann vers le Royaume-Uni après avoir été désigné comme arguidos (suspects).

Bill Henderson left all employment with the Foreign Office and took his retirement after having accompanied all meetings between the McCanns and the PJ inspectors.

Later, it was the British ambassador in Lisbon, John Buck, who put an end to his career, on September 10th 2007, the day after Kate and Gerry McCann fled to the United Kingdom after having been designated as arguidos. (suspects).

John Buck a été remplacé par Alexander Wykeham Ellis, Conseiller du président de la Commission Européene.

Deux envoyés du Foreign Office à Praia da Luz ont également quitté leurs fonctions : Sheree Dodd et Clarence Mitchell.

Sheree Dodd, ancienne journaliste – tout comme Clarence Mitchell – est devenu responsable en communication de Michael Martin, porte-parole de la Chambre des Communs.

Clarence Mitchell, ancien responsable de l’unité de Surveillance des Médias dans le gouvernement de Blair, à fini par être engagé par le multimillionnaire Brian Kenedy ayant comme mission unique de devenir le porte-parole de Kate et Gerry McCann.

John Buck was replaced by Alexander Wykeham Ellis, Advisor to the president of the European Commission.

Two Foreign Office envoys to Praia da Luz also left their posts: Sheree Dodd and Clarence Mitchell.

Sheree Dodd, former journalist - like Clarence Mitchell - became head of communications for Michael Martin, speaker of the House of Commons.

Clarence Mitchell, former head of the Media Monitoring Unit in Blair's government, ended by being engaged by the multi-millionaire Brian Kennedy, his unique mission to become the spokesperson for Kate and Gerry McCann.

http://sosmaddie.dhblogs.be/

27/06/08

SOS Madeleine McCann 8/06/08: the British Foreign Office helped the McCanns return home

Le Foreign Office britannique a aidé les McCann à rentrer à la maison.

Entre 7 et 10 septembre de l'année dernière, Kate McCann luttait pour sa vie, selon The News Of The World parce que les autorités portugaises essayaient de l'incriminer. "Ils veulent que je mens- je suis incriminé", dit Kate McCann au Sunday Mirror. La raison, explique Kate, était le fait que la Police Judiciaire "manquait de budget pour poursuivre les investigations et voudrais y mettre un terme". Une autre raison, dit’ elle, était que la police portugaise "ne veut pas d’un meurtre au Portugal ni de la publicité à propos du fait qu’ils n’ont pas de lois contre la pédophile ici, ainsi ils nous accusent."

Between September 7th and 10th last year, Kate McCann was struggling for her life, according to the News Of The World, because the Portuguese authorities were trying to incriminate her. “They want me to lie – I am incriminated,” Kate McCann told the Sunday Mirror. The reason, explains Kate, was the fact that the PJ, “lacked the budget to continue with the investigation and wanted to bring it to a close.” Another reason, she says, was that the Portuguese police, “do not want a murder in Portugal nor publicity about the fact that they have no laws against paedophilia here, so they accuse us.”

Au même temps, Gerry McCann a admis qu'il avait déjà été informé par ses avocats de que la PJ "a pu rassembler assez d’éléments pour les accuser." Malgré qu’il était "absolument confiant de qu’il n’y avait preuve que puisse lier Kate et lui a tout soupçon du meurtre" de leur fille, Gerry a admis que la "dernière tournure des événements", pendant les premières semaines de septembre, "l'avait provoquait quelques 'inquiétudes". Selon l'édition du 9 septembre du The News Of The World, "les McCann craignent maintenant que les enquêteurs puissent être sur le point de les arrêter et accuser. Gerry a dit : "Notre avocat a dit que le poids est tell que, sous le système légal portugais, ils ont assez pour avancer contre nous."

At the same time, Gerry McCann admitted that he had already been informed by their lawyers that the PJ, “could have gathered enough evidence to charge them.” In spite of his being, “absolutely confident that there was no proof that could link Kate and himself to any suspicion of murder,” of the daughter. Gerry admitted that the, “last turn of events,” during the weeks of September, “had given him some anxiety.” According to the September 9th edition of The News Of The World, “the McCanns now believe that the investigators could be at the point of arresting and charging them.” Gerry said: “Our lawyer said the balance is such that, under the Portuguese legal system, they have enough to proceed against us.”

Le père de Madeleine McCann a considéré également la possibilité de que "tôt ou tard, il y aura un processus formel dans lequel nous pourrons réfuter les choses devant le tribunal. Alors il sortira tout". Gerry a expliqué que les McCann "étaient en pourparlers avec la police" de manière "à être autorisés à rentrer à leur maison au Royaume-Uni," après avoir été constitués "arguidos", ou suspects formels dans la disparition de Madeleine McCann.

Madeleine McCann’s father also considered the possibility that, “sooner or later, there will be a formal trial in which we will be able to refute everything before the court. Then it’ll all come out.” Gerry explained that the McCanns, “were in talks with the police, “ so as, “to be allowed to return to their home in the United Kingdom,” after having been made, “arguidos,”, or formal suspects in Madeleine McCann’s disappearance.

Pendant que ces négociations continuaient, "le Foreign Office était en feu sur tous fronts" dans ses efforts pour aider les McCann", comme The Telegraph l’écrit le 10 septembre.
Et l'accord autorisant le retour de Gerry et Kate au Royaume-Uni a été conclu par des contacts directs entre le Foreign Office, les ministres des affaires étrangers, de la Justice et la PJ, avec l'aide de John Buck, à l’époque l’ambassadeur britannique au Portugal.

While these negotiations continued, “the Foreign Office was firing on all cylinders,” in their efforts to help the mcCanns.” As the Telegraph wrote on September 10th.
And the agreement authorising Gerry and Kate’s return to the United Kingdom was concluded by direct contact between the Foreign Office, the ministers for foreign affairs, the prosecutor and the PJ, with the help of John Buck, at that time British ambassador to Portugal.

Justine McGuiness et David Hughes, membres de l'équipe de conseillers des McCann, ont également joué un rôle important dans ces contacts.
Une source de PJ a expliqué que si le couple avait essayé de quitter le Portugal avant les interrogatoires qui ont eu lieu entre 7 et 8 de septembre, le cabinet du Procureur avait instruit les inspecteurs de PJ de les arrêter et était prêt à les constituer "arguidos" imposant des restrictions plus sévères à leurs mouvements. Les autorités portugaises ont accepté un accord verbal, après que le Foreign Office a garanti que le couple reviendrait au Portugal, toutes les fois que le cabinet du Procureur demanderait leur présence.

Justime McGuiness and David Hughes, member of the McCanns’ team of advisors, also played an important role in these contacts.
A PJ source explained that if the couple had tried to leave Portugal before the interrogations, which took place between September 7th and 8th, the Prosecutor’s office had instructed the PJ inspectors to arrest them and be ready to constitute them, “arguidos,” imposing more strict restrictions on their movements. The Portuguese authorities accepted a verbal agreement, after which the Foreign Office guaranteed that the couple would go back to Portugal, any time the Prosecutor’s office requested their presence.

Le changement soudain d’attitude des McCann, prétendent rentrer à nouveau au Royaume-Uni, après qu’ils ont promis qu'ils ne partiraient jamais sans Madeleine, s’est produit deux mois après qu’une équipe spéciale de la police britannique soit venu à Praia da Luz, avec Eddie et Keela, les chiens dressés pour détecter l'odeur du sang et des cadavres.

Mais, un mois avant qu’ils soient constitués "arguidos", le porte-parole de la PJ, Olegário de Sousa, avait déjà indiqué, dans une entrevue a la BBC, le 10 août, que la police suivait une nouvelle ligne d'enquête qu’inclus la possibilité de que Madeleine était morte.

The sudden change in the McCanns’ attitude, intending to return to the United Kingdom, after having promised that they would never leave without Madeleine, happened two months after a special British police team went to Praia da Luz, with Eddie and Keela, the dogs trained to detect the odours of blood and corpses.

But, one month before they were constituted, “arguidos,” the PJ’s spokeman, Olegário de Sousa, had already indicated, in an interview with the BBC, on August 10th, that the police were following a new line of enquiry, which included the possibility that Madeleine was dead.

Duarte Levy & Paulo Reis.

SOS Madeleine McCann 8/06/08

SOS Madeleine McCann 2/06/08: the McCanns have the winning triple in the right order.

Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Richard Branson: voted by influential business leaders as the three most influential people in the UK, after the Queen. It's the winning triple!

Les McCann ont le tiercé gagnant dans l’ordre

Un sondage effectué au Royaume-Uni parmi un millier d’hommes d’affaires dans le cadre d’un sommet internationale (Leaders in London International Leadership Summit) révèle que les trois personnalités le plus influentes du pays (après Sa Majesté la Reine) sont Tony Blair, Gordon Brown et le milliardaire Richard Branson.

An opinion poll of a thousand businessmen, conducted in the UK at an international meeting (Leaders in London International Leadership Summit) reveals that the three most influential people in the country (after Her Majesty the Queen) are Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and the millionaire Richard Branson.

Un tiercé gagnant qu’ont retrouve, dans l’ordre, derrière les parents de Madeleine, la petite britannique disparue dans un des villages le plus paisibles de la cote sud du Portugal.

Les résultats de ce sondage ont le mérite d’aider à comprendre comment - et éventuellement pourquoi - un couple en apparence anodin, continue à narguer la justice de deux états souverains et démocratiques, allant jusqu’au point de se refuser à aider les enquêteurs, portugais et britanniques, à élucider le destin de Madeleine, leur propre enfant.

A winning triple who are found, in that order, behind the parents of Madeleine, the little British girl who disappeared in one of the most peaceful villages on Portugal's south coast.

The results of this opinion poll have the advantage of understanding how - and eventually why - an apparently ordinary couple, continue to flout the law of two sovereign and democratic states, going as far as refusing to help the Portuguese and British investigators, to clear up what happened to Madeleine, their own child.

Depuis la disparition de Madeleine, en mai 2007, ses parents, Gerry et Kate McCann, ont reçu un support hors normes des deux hommes le plus influent outre-manche : l’ancien Premier-Ministre Tony Blair et son collègue de parti Gordon Brown, l’actuel occupant du 10 Downing Street. C’est d’ailleurs l’appui des deux premiers qui aurait motivé l’implication financière du troisième.

Since Madeleine's disappearance, in May 2007, her parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, have received the most extraordinary support from the two most influential men on that side of the channel: the former Prime Minister tony Blair and his party colleague Gordon Brown, the present occupant of 10 Downing Street. Moreover, it is the support of the two premiers that would have motivated the financial involvement of the third person.

Ont retrouve Tony Blair et Gordon Brown à l’origine des instructions donnés à l’ambassadeur John Buck et au consul Bill Henderson, - les deux plus hauts fonctionnaires de la diplomatie britannique au Portugal au moment de la disparition de Madeleine - leur ordonnant de prêter main forte à Gerry et Kate McCann.

Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were the source of the instructions given to the ambassador John Buck and to the consul Bill Henderson - the two highest officials of the British Diplomatic service in Portugal at the time of Madeleine's disappearance - ordering them to give strong assistance to Gerry and Kate McCann.

C’est l’ambassadeur John Buck, qu’avait fait le voyage de Lisbonne à l’Algarve après avoir alerté le Ministère des Affaires Etrangères portugais et le Directeur de la Police Judiciaire à propos de la disparition, avant même que la GNR ou le Département d’Investigation Criminelle (DIC) de la PJ à Portimão soient appelés sur place par un appel passé de l’Océan Club vers 22 :45.

It was the ambassador John Buck, who had made the trip from Lisbon to the Algarve after having alerted the Portuguese Foreign Minister and the Director of the PJ about the disappearance, before even the GNR or the Department of Criminal Investigation (DIC) of the Portimao PJ had been called to the scene by a call made from the Ocean Club towards 10.45pm.

Un acte de disparation

Etrangement, John Buck quitte ses fonctions au Portugal, mettant une fin à sa carrière au sein de la diplomatie britannique, le 10 septembre 2007, le lendemain de la fuite de Kate et Gerry McCann vers le Royaume-Uni après avoir été désignés comme arguidos (suspects).

A disappearing act.

Strangely, John Buck left his post in Portugal, putting an end to his career in the British diplomatic service, on September 10th 2007, the day after the fleeing of Kate and Gerry McCann to the United Kingdom after having been designated as arguidos (suspects).

Avant lui deux autres diplomates britanniques avaient déjà abandonné leurs fonctions, le consul Bill Henderson et Sheree Dodd, envoyé par le Foreign Office sous demande expresse de Blair. Elle sera remplacée par Clarence Mitchell après avoir fait état de quelques discordances à propos des McCann, leur comportement et leur manque de coopération avec les enquêteurs portugais et ceux de la police britannique.

Before him, two other British diplomats had already left their posts. the consul Bill Henderson and Sheree Dodd, sent by the Foreign Office at Blair's direct request. She would be replaced by Clarence Mitchell after having called attention to a few discrepancies in relation to the McCanns, their manner and their lack of cooperation with the Portuguese investigators and those of the British police.

Bill Henderson crée la surprise et annonce sa démission, il prend sa retraite à la fin du mois d’aout, quelques jours avant le début des interrogatoires qui ont conduit le au couple McCann à leur statut d’arguidos.

Après leur départ, Celia Edwards deviens consul britannique pour l’Algarve. C’est elle qui accompagne Kate et Gerry McCann pendant leurs interrogatoires à la Police Judiciaire en septembre 2007.

Bill Henderson surprised everyone by announcing his resignation; he took his retirement at the end of August, a few days before the start of the interrogations which led to the McCann couple's status as arguidos.

After their departure, Celia Edwards became British consul for the Algarve, It was she who was with Kate and Gerry McCann during their interrogations with the PJ in September 2007.

John Buck est remplacé par Alexander Wykeham Ellis, l’ambassadeur que s’est présenté à Portimão le jour même du retour des inspecteurs de la PJ après un voyage à Enderby. Marié à une portugaise, avec une profonde connaissance du Portugal ou il à exercé fonctions entre 1992 et 1996, il arrive de Bruxelles ou il travaillait avec le Président de la Commission Européenne, Durão Barroso.

John Buck was replaced by Alexander Wykeham-Ellis, the ambassador who turned up in Portimao on the same day as the PJ inspectors returned from a trip to Enderby. Married to a Portuguese woman, with a good knowledge of Portugal where he had been in post between 1992 and 1996, he went on to Brussels where he worked with the President of the European Commission, Durao Barroso.

A plusieurs reprises, Tony Blair à utilisé ses prérogatives et contacts pour permettre au couple McCann d’être reçu par les autorités des pays choisis pour lancer le Fonds Madeleine, notamment au Vatican ou ils ont rencontré le Pape Benoit XVI et logé dans la résidence officiel de l’ambassadeur britannique, Francis Campbell, un privilège qui n’est accessible qu’aux hôtes de marque.

On several occasions, Tony Blair used his prerogatives and contacts to enable the McCanns to be received by the authorities in the chosen countries to launch the Madeleine fund, notably at the Vatican where they met Pope Benedict XVI and stayed at the official residence of the British ambassador, Francis Campbell, a privilege which is reserved for distinguished guests.

C’est Blair en personne qu’en juin dernier, dans un entretien téléphonique avec le couple, fait question de maintenir et renforcer son aide disant que les McCann ne doivent pas hésiter à faire appel à lui pour tout où il puisse leur être utile. Un appui qui se maintien encore aujourd’hui, malgré la situation des parents de Madeleine face à l’enquête officiel à la disparition de leur fille.

It was Blair in person, during a telephone conversation with the couple in June last year, who talked about maintaining and strengthening his assistance, saying that the McCanns should not hesitate to call him about anything he could help them with. This support is maintained, in spite of Madeleine's parents' situation in the official enquiry into their daughter's disappearance.

Avec l’arrivée de Gordon Brown, le support du gouvernement britannique deviens plus intense mais aussi plus visible, et le nouveau premier ministre n’hésite pas à reconnaître qu’il parle personnellement au téléphone avec Gerry McCann à propos de l’enquête, comme il le fait à la fin mai. Le même jour, de manière quasi officielle les autorités britanniques font pression auprès de la PJ afin que celle-ci divulgue publiquement plus d’informations à propos de l’affaire.

With Gordon Brown's arrival, the support of the British government became stronegr but also more visible, and the new Prime Minister did not hesitate to admit that he personally spoke on the phone with Gerry McCann about the enquiry, as he did at the end of May. On the same day, the British authorities put unofficial pressure on the PJ for them to disclose more information about the case.

C’est lui qu’à plusieurs reprises prends l’initiative d’interpeller les journalistes a propos du cas McCann, mettant en évidence ces contacts auprès des autorités portugaises. C’est d’ailleurs ce qu’il fait le 9 juin 2007 à l’occasion de la visite du Premier-Ministre portugais José Socrates à Londres dans le cadre de la présidence tournante de l’Union Européenne.

It was he who, on several occasions, took the initiative of calling journalists about the McCann case, citing his contacts with the Portuguese authorities. He also did this on June 9th 2007, on the occasion of Portugal's Prime Minister José Socrates' visit to London, in the context of the rotating European Union Presidency.

Devant le 10 Downing Street, Gordon Brown fait question, devant les média britanniques, de souligner que l’affaire McCann à été discuté avec José Socrates à qui, dit’ il, aura été demandé un maximum de coopération pour aider Kate et Gerry McCann.

In front of number 10 Downing Street, Gordon Brown took questions from the media, stressing that the McCann case was discussed with José Socrates, from whom, he said, the greatest cooperation had been requested in assisting Kate and Gerry McCann.

(I will complete the translation later today!)

http://sosmaddie.dhblogs.be/

2/06/08

(Right! I'm back at 6.45pm!)

En septembre, juste après leur désignation comme arguidos, le couple McCann fait appel à Gordon Brown et David Miliband, le ministre des affaires étrangères, leur demandant d’intervenir car ils se disent victimes "d'une injustice". D’ailleurs, le Foreign Office est décrit, le 10 septembre, comme "en feu" dans ses efforts pour aider les McCann.

In September, right after being designated arguidos, the McCann couple made calle to Gordon Brown and David Miliband, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, asking them to intervene, calling themselves victims, "of an injustice." Meanwhile, the Foreign Office was described, on Spetember 10th as being, "fired up," in their efforts to help the McCanns.

A Lisbonne, en octobre 2007, bien que Kate et Gerry McCann étaient (et sont) toujours arguidos dans l’enquête de la disparition de leur fille Madeleine, c’est encore Gordon Brown qui surprend les journalistes pendant une conférence de presse annonçant qu’il va une fois encore aborder la situation des McCann et l’état de l’enquête mené par la Police Judiciaire en coopération avec la police britannique.

Au même moment, au Royaume-Uni, un officier de police fait état des difficultés rencontrées auprès de l’Home Office concernant la partie britannique de l’enquête.

In Lisbon, in October 2007, even though Kate and Gerry McCann were (and are) still arguidos in the enquiry into their daughter Madeleine's disappearance, it was again Gordon Brown who surpirsed journalists during a press conference by announcing that he was, once more, going to approach the McCann situation and the state of the enquiry led by the PJ in cooperation with the British police.

At the same time, in the United Kingdom, a police officer reported difficulties encountered with the Home Office concerning the British part of the enquiry.

Un conseil astucieux

Malgré une opinion publique de plus en plus contraire aux McCann, qui a même obligée certains médias à ne plus accepter des commentaires à propos de l’affaire, en décembre, au moment de la signature du Traité de Lisbonne, c’est une fois encore David Miliband et Gordon Brown qui profitent de l’occasion pour aborder le sujet avec plusieurs membres du gouvernement portugais, notamment José Socrates, cette fois ci loin des médias et dans le plus grand secret.

Wise advice.

In spite of public opinion being more and more against the mcCanns, who even obliged certain media to no longer accept comments on the case, in December, at the time of the signing of the Treaty of Lisbon, it was again David Miliband and Gordon Brown who took advantage of the opportunity to approach the subject with several members of the Portuguese government, notably José Socrates, this time away from the media and with the utmost secrecy.

C’est également du cabinet de Gordon Brown qu’est venue la suggestion de réduire la présence médiatique du couple McCann et la campagne Find Madeleine, comme le confirme une source proche de la famille McCann.

Les conseillers de Gordon Brown sont alors inquiets par la possibilité que les prochaines étapes de l’investigation de la disparition de Madeleine, qui suivait une nouvelle ligne d'enquête, puissent produire des résultats qui pourraient endommager l'image du Premier Ministre, dû à sa relation avec Gerry McCann. Ceci a été révélé par Gazeta Digital et SOS Madeleine le 26 août 2007.

Also from Gordon Brown's office, came the suggestion to reduce the media presence of the McCann couple and the Find Madeleine company, as confirmed by a source close to the McCann family.

Gordon Brown's advisors were then worried by the possibility that the next stages of the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, which was following a new line of enquiry, might produce results which could damage the Prime Minister's image, due to his involvement with Gerry McCann. This was revealed by Gazeta Digital and SOS Madeleine on August 26th 2007.

La générosité du support financier de Richard Branson, qui complète le tiercé gagnant, devient d’autant plus compréhensible quand on connaît ses relations avec Tony Blair.

The generosity of of the financial support of Richard Branson, who completes the winning triple, becomes all the more understandable when you know his relationship with Tony Blair.

D'ailleurs, l'ancien dirigeant du Parti Travailliste et Premier Ministre, un défenseur dévoué de Kate et Gerry McCann a eu l'occasion d'aborder le sujet pendant sa récente rencontre avec Richard Branson sur son l'ile privéé où ils ont été accompagnés par Elon Musk (Paypal), Larry Page (Google) et Jimmy Wales (Wikipedia), parmi d’autres…

By the way, the former leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister, a devoted defender of Kate and Gerry McCann, had the opportunity to approach the subject during his recent meeting with Richard Branson on his private island where they were accompanied by Elon Musk (Paypal), Larry Page (Google) and Jimmy Wales (Wikipedia) amongst others....

Mais l'aide financière aux McCann ne s'arrête pas là. Encore une fois, grâce aux excellents contacts de ses amis, le couple bénéficie de l’aide financière de Stephen Winyard, Brian Kennedy et JK Rowling, elle aussi parmi les femmes les plus influentes du Royaume-Uni.

(I don't know what is happening here today....the software won't stop doing this!)

But the financial assistance to the mcCann couple does not end there. Once more, thanks to his friends' excellent contacts, the coupe are beneficiaries of financial help from stephen Winyard, Brian Kennedy and JK Rowling, who is amongst the UK's most influential women.

Aux portes du ciel

Un autre épisode intéressant et révélateur a eu lieu le 12 septembre, quand Justine McGuinness et David Hughes, conseillers de presse pour les McCann accompagnés du puissant Angus McBride, tiennent des réunions avec les rédacteurs-en-chef de la plupart des journaux britanniques.

At the gates of heaven.

Another interesting and revealing episode took place on September 12th, when Justine McGuinnes and David Hughes, press advisors for the McCanns, accompanied by the powerful Angus McBride, held meetings with the editors-in-chief of most of the British newspapers.

Au cours de ces réunions, il a été expliqué aux rédacteurs-en-chef que le fait que la police portugaise ne pourrait pas retrouver le corps de Madeleine rendrait impossible toute condamnation par un tribunal, même si les McCann étaient formellement accusés et jugés. Les McCann lancent, en même temps, un énorme défi à la police portugaise : "Trouvez le corps de Madeleine et prouvez que nous l'avons tuée." comme le Daily Mail l'a écrit dans son édition du jour.

In the course of these meetings, it was explained to the editors-in-chief that the fact that the Portuguese police could not find Madeleine's body would render impossible any sentence by a court, even if the McCanns were formally charged and tried. The McCanns launched, at the same time, an enormous challenge to the Portuguese police: "Find Madeleine's body and prove we killed her." as the Daily Mail wrote in its daily edition.

SOS Madeleine McCann: Reconstruction is still waiting for the McCanns and the, "Tapas," Seven.

This is the latest on the reconstruction from SOS Madeleine McCann.

http://sosmaddie.dhblogs.be/

14.05.2008

Reconstitution toujours en attente des McCann et des "Tapas" sept

Rogério Alves, un des avocats de Kate et Gerry McCann, à affirmé aujourd’hui à Faro que les autorités portugaises ont déjà determiné la date de la reconstitution des événements de la nuit de la disparition de Madeleine, affirmant que Kate et Gerry McCann seraient présents.

"Les deux ont déjà manifesté leur intention d'être présents," à dit l’avocat soulignant que la présence des autres témoins "ne dépendent pas d'eux."

Rogério Alves, one of the lawyers for Kate and Gerry McCann, stated today in Faro that the Portuguese authorities have already set the date for the reconstruction of the events of the night of Madeleine's disappearance, stating that Kate and Gerry MCann would be there.

"They have both already shown their intention to be there," said the lawyer, stressing that the presence of the others, "does not depend on them."

Selon le défenseur de Kate et Gerry McCann, le couple continue à être sceptique à propos de la reconstitution mettant en cause son utilité après un an, position qui surprend même les officiers de la police britannique qu’avaient accompagné l’affaire à Praia da Luz.

According to Kate and Gerry McCann's defence lawyer, the couple are still skeptical about the reconstruction questioning its usefulness after a year, a position which surprised even the British police officers who had been involved with the case in Praia da Luz.

Moins surpris avec la situation d’impasse sont les enquêteurs de la Police Judiciaire (PJ) que depuis plusieurs semaines essaient d’arriver à un compromis entre tous les arguidos et témoins nécessaires à cette diligence : "Pour le moment ca coince toujours au sein du groupe formé par les parents et ses sept amis, " reconnaît une source de la PJ, pour qui la date du 29 mai, avancée aujourd’hui par plusieurs médias, est une possibilité encore en attente.

"Tout dépend de leur volonté d’aider la police à élucider la disparition de Madeleine," affirme encore la même source.

Less surprised with the impasse situation are the investigators of the PJ, who for several weeks have been trying to arrive at a compromise between all the arguidos and witnessess necessary for this action: "At the moment it is still stuck on the part of the group formed by the parents and their seven friends," admitted a source at the PJ, for whom the date of 29th May, put forward today by several media, is a possibility still pending.

"Everything depends on their willingness to help the police clear up Madeleine's disappearance," the same source stated.

Pourquoi une reconstitution après un an ?

Selon un des officiers britanniques qu’avaient fait le déplacement à Praia da Luz dans le cadre de l’enquête à la disparition de Madeleine, "la reconstitution demandée par la Police Judiciaire est un acte incontournable pour Kate et Gerry McCann. "

"Il s’agit d’une diligence nécessaire à l’enquête et qui à toute sa raison d’être car elle a plusieurs objectifs, " affirme encore l’officier contacté au Royaume-Uni.

Why a reconstruction after a year?

According to British officers who went to Praia da Luz in the context of the enquiry into Madeleine's disappearance, "the reconstruction requested by the PJ is something that Kate and Gerry McCann cannot get away from."

"It is a necessary action in the enquiry and has every reason to be because it has several objectives," states the officer contacted in the United Kingdom.

Selon lui, le premier le premier objectif est celui de pouvoir constituer un album d’images qui sera ensuite utilisé pour démontrer de quelle façon la scène s'est déroulée.

Le deuxième, probablement le plus important, est celui de pouvoir confronter et vérifier les déclarations des arguidos et des témoins avec les constatations matérielles réalisées sur place. Il arrive, par exemple, qu'ont se rende compte que tel témoignage ne colle pas avec la configuration des lieux.

According to him, the primary objective is that of being able to build an album of images which would then be used to show how the scene unfolded.

The second, and probably the most important, is that of being able to compare and check the statements of arguidos and witnesses with the physical findings made on the spot. It happens, for example, when accounts are taken that some witness statements do not tally with the layout of the places.

Les déclarations des personnes liés à l’enquête peuvent varier entre ce qu’à été dit aux enquêteurs dans les installations de la police et le lieu du crime.

Des informations, des détails, peuvent aussi leur revenir en mémoire : l’arguido ou le témoin peut ainsi apporter des précisions ou faire de nouvelles déclarations.

The statements of people linked to the enquiry may vary between what was said to the investigators at the police stations and at the scene of the crime.

Some information, some details, may also come back to them: the arguido or the witness may also bring clarity or make new statements.

"On peut progresser énormément dans une enquête avec les déclarations faites sur la scène du crime, une fois que la personne s'exprime dans une situation particulière… Elle est obligée à refaire les gestes qu’elle prétend avoir fait, cette fois-ci sous les regards des autres et en particulier celui des enquêteurs, " affirme l’officier.

Une reconstitution permet également de confronter les points de vue des différents "acteurs", notamment celui du suspect avec celui des témoins.

"Enormous progress can be made in an enquiry with statements made at the scene of the crime, once the person is placed in a particular situation...She is obliged to repeat the actions she claims to have made, this time under the eyes of others and in particular of the investigators," states the officer.

A reconstruction also allows the viewpoints of the various, "actors," to be compared, notably those of the suspect with those of the witnesses.

Diplomatie britannique toujours présente

L’annonce du départ de l’ambassadeur John Buck le 10 septembre 2007 n’a rien changé à l’attitude de la diplomatie britannique dans l’enquête à la disparition de Madeleine McCann. John Buck, quittant définitivement la carrière diplomatique, a été rapidement remplacée par Alexander Wykeham Ellis en provenance de Bruxelles ou il avait travaillait avec le Président de la Commission Européenne.

British diplomacy is always present.

The announcement of the departure of the ambassador John Buck on September 10th 2007, changed nothing about the attitude of British diplomacy in the enquiry into Madeleine McCann's disappearance. John Buck, leaving the diplomatic service for good, was quickly replaced by Alexander Wykeham Ellis from Brussels where he had worked with the President of the European Commission.

(To be continued.)

http://sosmaddie.dhblogs.be/

14/05/08