Monday 4 February 2008

McCann toujours suspects: McCanns still suspects (SOS Maddie blog)

Translation of SOS Madeleine article of Monday 4th February.

"McCann toujours suspects"

Magistrats et Inspecteurs de la Police Judiciaire (PJ) n’ont pas apprécié les déclarations du Directeur National de la Police Judiciaire, Alipio Ribeiro, même si aujourd’hui des sources proches du responsable de la police ont réaffirmé qu’il y a eu mauvaise interprétation de ces propos : les mots du directeur auront été dans le sens dont, si Kate et Gerry avaient été maintenus comme témoins, "peut-être ils ne seraient pas partis pour Angleterre. Ils auraient été plus coopérants avec la Justice".

Magistrates and Inspectors of the PJ, did not appreciate the statements of the Director of the Police Judiciaire, Alipio Ribeiro, even if today, sources close to the head of police have confirmed that there has been a misinterpretation of what he said: the words of the director would have been in the sense of, if Kate and Gerry had been kept as witnesses, "perhaps they would not have left for England. They may have been more co-operative with the Justice." (Prosecutor?)

"
A Algarve, la plupart des Inspecteurs de la PJ ont accueilli les déclarations du leur directeur avec surprise car la ligne d’enquête n’a pas changé et si l’investigation semble au point mort, aux yeux du public, plusieurs diligences sont en cours même si la plus importante, affirme un des responsables à Portimão, "reste l’interrogatoire aux amis du couple".

In the Algarve, most of the Inspectors of the PJ have received the statements of their director with surprise because the line of the enquiry has not changed and if the investigation seems to be at a dead end, in the eyes of the public, several researches are underway, even if the most important, as confirmed by one of the sources in Portimao is that, "there remains the interrogation of the friends of the couple."

"Les inspecteurs continuent à suspecter le couple d’avoir occulté le corps de leur fille dans la nuit du 3 mai dernier, confirme le même responsable pour qui "l’enquête est bien un travail de patience" comme l’a dit Alipio Ribeiro : "Sur ça il ne s’est pas trompé".

The inspectors continue to suspect the couple of having hidden the body of their daughter on the night of May 3rd last year, confirms the same source, for whom, "the enquiry is indeed a work of patience," as Alipio Ribeiro has said: "He is not wrong about that.

"Au mois de septembre dernier, plusieurs sont les inspecteurs qui ont demandé la prison provisoire de Kate et Gerry McCann, ayant déjà, à l’époque, la ferme conviction qu’il y avait assez de preuves pour justifier cette mesure : "Aujourd’hui nous avons beaucoup avancé dans l’enquête et nous sommes certains de que les parents de Madeleine et leurs amis peuvent expliquer ce qu’est arrivé à l’enfant", affirme le responsable, pour qui "le départ du couple de Praia da Luz est venu compliquer les choses. Nous sommes obligés de dépendre du bon vouloir des autorités britanniques".

Last September, there were several inspectors who requested the temporary imprisonment of Kate and Gerry McCann, already maintaining, at that time, the firm conviction that there was enough evidence to justify this measure: “We have now made significant advances in the inquiry and we are certain that Madeleine’s parents and their friends can explain what happened to the child”, the source affirms, saying that for him “the couple’s departure from Praia da Luz has complicated things. We are obliged to depend upon the goodwill of the British authorities.

"Au mois de septembre le Procureur du Ministère Public de Portimão, José Magalhães e Menezes, à décidé de les constituer arguidos sans avoir recours à la prison préventive, laissant la porte ouverte pour leur départ vers le Royaume-Uni comme l’avaient demandé les autorités britanniques via leurs représentants diplomatiques au Portugal."

In September, the Portimao Public Ministry Attorney, José Magalhães e Menezes, decided to name them arguidos without taking the step of preventative imprisonment, leaving the door open for their departure to the UK as the British authorities had requested via their diplomatic representative in Portugal.

"Réactions : "Tout ceci est très étrange"

"Francisco Pagarete, l’avocat de Robert Murat, s’est refusé à commenter les déclarations du directeur de la PJ soulignant que "tout ceci est très étrange". L’avocat du britannique, arguido depuis le 14 mai dernier, avoue sa surprise avec les déclarations d’Alipio Ribeiro mais préfère attendre l’évolution de l’enquête avant de décider s’il y a une réaction à prendre."

Reactions: "All of this is very strange"

Francisco Pagarete, Robert Murat’s lawyer, has refused to comment on the statements made by the PJ Directors, emphasising that “all of this is very strange”. The lawyer for the British man, who has been an arguido since 14th May, declares his surprise at the statements made by Alipio Ribeiro, but prefers to wait for developments in the inquiry before deciding if he should respond.

"Pour éviter ce genre de situations : retenue et réserve dans le discours", conseille le président du Syndicat des magistrats du Ministère Publique, Antonio Cluny, pour qui il est "inquiétant" de voir un responsable de la PJ parler sur un procès encore en cours."

In order to avoid this type of situation there must be discretion and reserve in speech” advises the president of the Public Ministry Magistrates' Union, Antonio Cluny, who finds it “troubling” to see a PJ official talk about an ongoing inquiry."

"Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, professeur universitaire de Droit et commentateur politique, à affirmé sur la première chaine de télévision portugaise que les déclarations d’Alipio Ribeiro sont "très graves". Ancien Ministre et Conseiller d’Etat, Marcelo accuse Alipio Ribeiro d’avoir "tué l’investigation de la police quand il a dit qu’il y aurait eu précipitation en constituer le couple McCann comme arguidos dans le procès".

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, University professor of law and political commentator, has stated on Portuguese television that Alipio Ribeiro’s statements are “very serious”. Former Minister and State Advisor, Marcelo accuses Alipio Ribeiro of having “ killed the police investigation when he said that there was haste in declaring the McCann couple as arguidos in the case

http://sosmaddie.dhblogs.be/






Madeleine: The statements of Alípio Ribeiro generate dissatisfaction in the Criminal Police and the search of the Arade Dam continues.

I have lifted the translation of this article in the Portuguese newspaper, Diario de Noticias, straight off the Three Arguidos forum; translation by Li. The Three Arguidos forum was set up by several people who were very active posters on the Daily Mirror, "The hunt for Maddy," forum which was very suddenly shut down last week.

The 3 Arguidos forum had actually been going for some time before the demise of the MF, and it provided a place for ex-Mirror forumites and others to express their opinions and post items of news which may not be available in the UK press, thanks to those who translate French, Portuguese and Spanish news items from Journals and TV.

http://www.the3arguidos.net

Diario de Noticias 4/02/08

JOSÉ MANUEL OLIVEIRA

"The inspectors are against the statements made by the national director"

"The discontent is installed amidst the inspectors of the Judicial Police (PJ) of Algarve. The problem were the statements made by the national director, Alípio Ribeiro, to the programme "Diga lá Excelência" of the RR and to the newspaper Público, in which he acknowledges there has been "some haste" to constitute arguidos Gerry and Kate McCann for the supposed death of their daughter Madeleine ,nine months ago, in Praia da Luz, near Lagos, where the family spent holidays and the child disappeared. The researchers continue to suspect of the involvement of the British couple in the concealment of the body of the girl on the night of May 3, 2007, although the results of the samples of blood and hair collected are not conclusive.

When the mother of Maddie was heard on 6 and 7 September,at the Department of Criminal Investigation (DIC) of Portimão of the PJ, several inspectors wanted to arrest her. However, the public prosecutor of Portimão, José Magalhães e Menezes, objected to. Even so, and already after Gerry and Kate have returned to the United Kingdom, some researchers involved in the process maintained the conviction that they have evidence that could lead to the preventive arrest of the couple. Only the political pressure from the British have prevented them from going further.

The DN found, that there are people in the PJ that understand that the new declarations of Alípio Ribeiro are nothing more than a situation of bluff, and were only meant to "test waters".

In the interpretation of some inspectors,when the national director of the Judicial Police talked about "precipitation" in the constitution of Madeleine's parents as defendants, that still remain subjected to Term of identity and residence in England, he did it to "see what were the reactions of the McCanns and also the Portuguese. "

Other researchers have confessed their "dissatisfaction" by the assertions of Alípio Ribeiro, saying "it's difficult to work in a country that most resembles a banana Republic. The more you do you can not make a difference" .

Astonished and speechless facing the interview of the national director of the PJ is the lawyer of the Portuguese-British Robert Murat, the first to be constituted defendant in Madeleine's case on May 14, 2007, on suspicion of kidnapping, and after his mother's house was passed through fine comb, about two hundred meters of the apartment of The Ocean Club, where the child disappeared, as well as the inspection to the family's car. "I find this all very strange",said yesterday to the DN Francisco Pagarete.

With a sad voice,the lawyer refused to make more comments. He did not mention if he is also considering requiring to the MP the withdrawal of the status of arguido of Robert Murat. "It is a situation that I have not yet looked at," noted the lawyer which, as the DN advanced at the time, bet in the closure of the case concerning his client from November 13, 2007, when seven months since he was accused were completed. "I do not intend to make any comment in relation to the statements.I will not react in any way," insisted the lawyer, not hiding his surprise by the considerations outlined by the maximum responsible of the PJ."

It is very interesting to read this news from today's Diario de Noticias after the clamour in the UK press at the weekend to quote from Clarence Mitchell, who appears to have misinterpreted the words of Alipio Ribeiro. The Portuguese police involved in the investigation also seem to think that Ribiero's words have been misinterpreted and they are not very happy about Ribeiro's having made the comments in the first place.

As arguidos, the McCanns gained the right not to answer questions and they took full advantage of that right and apparently left 40 questions unanswered. If their status had remained as, "witnesses," they would have been required to answer all questions.

It seems that the McCanns' arguido status is not about to be lifted and that those police involved in the investigation still believe that Madeleine's parents were involved in her disappearance.

The Search of the lake continues.

Meanwhile, the human rights lawyer,
Marcos Aragao Correia, has his team of divers searching the lake behind the Arade Dam, at a cost of £1,000/day, convinced that Madeleine's body is to be found there.

The Mirror 4/02/08

"
The desolate reservoir in Barragem do Arade - 150ft deep in places - has a beach and a walkway leading to a tower. It matches clues the Portuguese lawyer was given.

Marcos said: "I am convinced this is the place. My sources told me Madeleine was thrown into a deserted lake with murky waters, a beach and lots of trees.

"I believe this would have been the best place for someone to have dumped the body, based on my investigations.

"It's not overlooked, has easy access by car and if you threw the body from the tower the water is 55ft deep there."

The divers have found a length of knotted cord, about 17ft long, which may have come from a window blind, which Mr Correia says may have been used to bind Madeleine's body.

Mr Correia does not believe that Madeleine's parents were involved and neither does Metodo 3, of course, the agency hired by the McCanns to find their daughter. Both Marcos and Metodo 3 are linking the tip-off about the lake to a reported sighting in Silves, which is very close to the lake, two days after Madeleine disappeared. A woman, reported to look like Robert Murat's girlfriend, Mikaela Walczuch, was apparently seen in Silves, handing over a child to a, "male accomplice."

"
Ms Walczuch has never been an official suspect and dismissed the claim as "ridiculous".