They have to be false and, therefore, shameful ........... no one deserves to be tarred with that brush if unfounded. Fair enough people like Stuart Hall & Saville got away with it for years, while in the public spotlight but that's not the same thing. You need to be licensed and inspected as a doctor whereas you can be a ****e talentless entertainer simply because the public are gullible.
By Tom Pettifor | 26 Oct 2013 00:00 Kate and Gerry McCann have been told for the first time by the Portuguese authorities that they are no longer suspects in their daughter Madeleine’s disappearance. The couple were told in a police briefing last week in Lisbon where they were also updated on the new leads that have been unearthed. Their Portuguese lawyer Rogerio Alves said yesterday: “The McCanns were already informed about the reopening of the inquiry and the reasons why it was being reopened. “They also know that this new line of inquiry excludes any responsibility of the parents. “The Portuguese police told them this at a meeting in Lisbon last week at which British police were also present. “What it means is that the police understand there are new avenues that should be explored. “This brings Madeleine’s parents a legitimate expectation not only that the truth will be discovered but also that it will be possible to find Madeleine alive which is the sole aim of all the efforts they’ve been making.” Portugal’s current Attorney General, Joana Marques Vidal, is the first woman ever appointed to the post. She took over as the country’s top legal advisor in October 2012 from predecessor Fernando Pinto Monteiro after his six-year mandate came to an end. It was still unclear last night which police force would be appointed to lead the reopened inquiry. Initial reports suggested it would be a team of Algarve-based Policia Judiciaria detectives but yesterday it appeared more likely the review team from Porto would be asked to do the job. The detectives will work under the direction of public prosecutors based in the Algarve resort of Portimao. Jose Magalhaes e Menezes, the public prosecutor in charge of the original investigation, is expected to oversee the reopened inquiry. He was damning of the original probe pointing the finger at Madeleine’s parents and claimed officers under disgraced Goncalo Amaral achieved “very little” during their 15 month investigation. He also thwarted attempts by Mr Amaral to charge the McCanns with child abandonment, leading to a souring in relations between police and prosecutors. Mr Amaral went on to write a controversial book called ‘The Truth of the Lie’ which the McCanns are currently suing him over at an ongoing civil trial in a Lisbon court. It also emerged last night Madeleine’s parents are set to apply to become private prosecutors - “assistentes” under Portuguese law - in the reopened criminal inquiry. It will mean their legal team can work alongside state prosecutors so they are kept informed of all new developments and conduct their own private prosecution - running parallel to the state prosecution - against any future suspects charged over Madeleine’s disappearance. It marks a remarkable turn-around in a case in which they were once 'arguidos' - suspects. Their status as ‘assistentes’ would be crucial because of the secrecy order slapped on the case by Portugal’s Attorney General. They wouldn’t have access to all case files at present because of the secrecy order as ‘assistentes’ - but would once the secrecy order is lifted. Mr Alves said yesterday: “I will be applying for the McCanns to become assistentes in this case but don’t know yet when. “Madeleine is the victim as well as her parents who are also her legal representatives." Route of a kidnapper: Chief reporter Andy Lines retraces the route believed to have been taken by the prime suspect in Madeleine McCann's disappearance 1. Starting point: The apartment 2. Hidden: The route followed behind the tennis courts 3. Busy: Shops close to the bus stop 4. Steps: Suspect would be briefly hidden here 5. Open space: Scrubland near Martin Smith's sighting Number one suspect: E-fit image of a man seen in Praia da Luz at the time of Madeleine McCann's disappearance On the hunt: Mirror chief reporter Andy Lines in Portugal
From 'arguido' to 'assistente': McCanns apply for prosecutor status which will let them see all Portuguese case files if any suspects face trial The McCanns' lawyer claims Portuguese police have finally admitted that the parents are no longer suspects The couple will apply for prosecutor status allowing them to be updated of new developments in the case Madeleine was snatched in 2007 from family's holiday apartment Portugal police have re-opened case five years after it was closed By GERARD COUZENS and DAILY MAIL REPORTER PUBLISHED: 15:45, 25 October 2013 | UPDATED: 01:21, 26 October 2013 8 shares 13 View comments Madeleine McCann’s parents are to apply under Portuguese law to become private ‘prosecutors’ in the reopened criminal inquiry into her disappearance. If Kate and Gerry McCann are granted the status of ‘assistentes’, their legal team could work alongside state prosecutors so they are kept informed of all new developments and conduct their own private prosecution – running parallel to the state prosecution – against any future suspects. It’s a distant cry from the days in 2007 when Portuguese police labelled the couple with ‘arguido’ – or suspect – status. Under the country’s legal system, ‘there is a place for the victims that want to be side by side with the prosecutors’, said the McCanns’ Portuguese lawyer, Rogerio Alves. ‘They can press their own charges.’ Hopeful: Gerry and Kate McCann's fight for justice after the disappearance of their daughter Madeleine is fuelled by the hope that she is alive, their Portuguese lawyer claims Portugal’s Attorney General confirmed on Thursday that the probe was being reopened at the request of police based in Porto who have spent the last two and a half years reviewing the case. The McCanns’ Portuguese lawyer, Rogerio Alves, said local police have finally admitted to the couple they no longer regard them as suspects, more than five years after the original investigation was shelved. The couple were told in a police briefing last week in Lisbon, new lines of inquiry which have led to the reopening of the investigation in Portugal, absolve them of any responsibility. More... Portuguese police search for *****phile gang who 'may have snatched Madeleine McCann' as her case is reopened BREAKING NEWS: DNA test confirms that Bulgarian woman IS the natural mother of blonde-haired ‘Maria’ found living with Roma couple Parents' heartbreak as four-year-old daughter diagnosed with leukaemia dies just 11 DAYS later Mr Alves said: 'The McCanns were already informed about the reopening of the inquiry and the reasons why it was being reopened. 'They also know that this new line of inquiry excludes any responsibility of the parents. 'The Portuguese police told them this at a meeting in Lisbon last week at which British police were also present. Access all areas: The McCanns will apply for prosecutor status in the reopened criminal inquiry into Maddie's disappearance (pictured right on the day she vanished) allowing them to be kept informed of all new developments in the case 'What it means is that the police understand there are new avenues that should be explored. 'This brings Madeleine’s parents a legitimate expectation not only that the truth will be discovered but also that it will be possible to find Madeleine alive which is the sole aim of all the efforts they’ve been making.' Portugal’s current Attorney General, Joana Marques Vidal, is the first woman ever appointed to the post. An e-fit image released by the Metropolitan Police this month of a man they want to investigate as Portuguese authorities reopen the case with new inquiries She took over as the country’s top legal advisor in October 2012 from predecessor Fernando Pinto Monteiro after his six-year mandate came to an end. It was still unclear last night which police force would be appointed to lead the reopened inquiry. Initial reports suggested it would be a team of Algarve-based Policia Judiciaria detectives but today it appeared more likely the review team from Porto would be asked to do the job. The detectives will work under the direction of public prosecutors based in the Algarve resort of Portimao. Jose Magalhaes e Menezes, the public prosecutor in charge of the original investigation, is expected to oversee the reopened inquiry. He was damning of the original probe pointing the finger at Madeleine’s parents and claimed officers under disgraced Goncalo Amaral achieved 'very little' during their 15-month investigation. He also thwarted attempts by Mr Amaral to charge the McCanns with child abandonment, leading to a souring in relations between police and prosecutors. Mr Amaral went on to write a controversial book called ‘The Truth of the Lie’ which the McCanns are currently suing him over at an ongoing civil trial in a Lisbon court because of his claims they faked their daughter’s abduction to cover up her death in their holiday apartment. It also emerged last night Madeleine’s parents are set to apply to become private prosecutors - ‘assistentes’ under Portuguese law - in the reopened criminal inquiry. It will mean their legal team can work alongside state prosecutors so they are kept informed of all new developments and conduct their own private prosecution - running parallel to the state prosecution - against any future suspects charged over Madeleine’s disappearance. Can press their own charges: The McCanns (pictured in 2007 after Maddie's disappearance) will be able to be in court with their lawyer if they are granted prosecutor status once the secrecy order is lifted It marks a remarkable turnaround in a case in which they were once 'arguidos' or suspects. Their status as ‘assistentes’ would be crucial because of the secrecy order slapped on the case by Portugal’s Attorney General. They wouldn’t have access to all case files at present because of the secrecy order as ‘assistentes’ - but would once the secrecy order is lifted. Mr Alves said today: 'I will be applying for the McCanns to become assistentes in this case but don’t know yet when. 'Madeleine is the victim as well as her parents who are also her legal representatives. 'According to Portuguese criminal procedural law there is a place for the victims that want to be side by side with the prosecutors. 'It’s a question of them helping the prosecutor deliver to the case files all the information they have that can assist the investigation. Disappearance: The Ocean Club resort in Praia Da Luz where Madeleine McCann disappeared from in May 2007 'They can submit an accusation, they can press their own charges. 'At the trial, if there is a trial, they can be in court with their own lawyer, asking their own questions. 'It’s a sort of a private accusation to help the state prosecution.” He added: 'The secrecy order that’s been placed on this case prevents me from saying what the new lines of inquiry are. 'The police asked us specifically not to compromise the investigation and we are all obliged to respect the secrecy order. 'It would be a crime for anyone working within the file with full information on the details to talk about it. We don’t have the full details, we just have an idea. 'Madeleine’s parents are the ones with most interest in abiding by the secrecy order and maintaining the efficiency of the investigation. But I can say that the information they got from the Portuguse police directly is that the new lines of investigation absolve them of any responsibility in their daughter’s disappearance.'
The McCanns' lawyer claims Portuguese police have finally admitted that the parents are no longer suspects The couple will apply for prosecutor status allowing them to be updated of new developments in the case Madeleine was snatched in 2007 from family's holiday apartment Portugal police have re-opened case five years after it was closed Never doubted it.
The police are building themselves up for a massive fall if they don't come up with something. So far, they've come up with absolutely nothing apart from a witness who said the man he saw was Gerry McCann.
http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/National/article1332689.ece Madeleine clues hidden for 5 years The new prime suspect was first singled out by detectives in 2008. Their findings were suppressed. Insight reports The Sunday Times Insight team Published: 27 October 2013 Comment (0) Print Madeleine disappeared from the Praia da Luz resort in May 2007Madeleine disappeared from the Praia da Luz resort in May 2007 (Adrian Sheratt) THE critical new evidence at the centre of Scotland Yard’s search for Madeleine McCann was kept secret for five years after it was presented to her parents by ex-MI5 investigators. The evidence was in fact taken from an intelligence report produced for Gerry and Kate McCann by a firm of former spies in 2008. It contained crucial E-Fits of a man seen carrying a child on the night of Madeleine’s disappearance, which have only this month become public after he was identified as the prime suspect by Scotland Yard. A team of hand-picked former MI5 agents had been hired by the McCanns to chase a much-needed breakthrough in the search for their missing daughter Madeleine. Click to enlarge 10 months after the three-year-old had disappeared from the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz, and the McCanns were beginning to despair over the handling of the local police investigation. They were relying on the new team to bring fresh hope. But within months the relationship had soured. A report produced by the investigators was deemed “hypercritical” of the McCanns and their friends, and the authors were threatened with legal action if it was made public. Its contents remained secret until Scotland Yard detectives conducting a fresh review of the case contacted the authors and asked for a copy. They found that it contained new evidence about a key suspect seen carrying a child away from the McCanns’ holiday apartment on the night Madeleine disappeared. This sighting is now considered the main lead in the investigation and E-Fits of the suspect, taken from the report, were the centrepiece of a Crimewatch appeal that attracted more than 2,400 calls from the public this month. One of the investigators whose work was sidelined said last week he was “utterly stunned” when he watched the programme and saw the evidence his team had passed to the McCanns five years ago presented as a breakthrough. The team of investigators from the security firm Oakley International were hired by the McCanns’ Find Madeleine fund, which bankrolled private investigations into the girl’s disappearance. They were led by Henri Exton, MI5’s former undercover operations chief. Their report, seen by The Sunday Times, focused on a sighting by an Irish family of a man carrying a child at about 10pm on May 3, 2007, when Madeleine went missing. An earlier sighting by one of the McCanns’ friends was dismissed as less credible after “serious inconsistencies” were found in her evidence. The report also raised questions about “anomalies” in the statements given by the McCanns and their friends. Exton confirmed last week that the fund had silenced his investigators for years after they handed over their controversial findings. He said: “A letter came from their lawyers binding us to the confidentiality of the report.” He claimed the legal threat had prevented him from handing over the report to Scotland Yard’s fresh investigation, until detectives had obtained written permission from the fund. A source close to the fund said the report was considered “hypercritical of the people involved” and “would have been completely distracting” if it became public. Kate and Gerry McCann: now officially not suspects, say the Portuguese authoritiesKate and Gerry McCann: now officially not suspects, say the Portuguese authorities (Adrian Sheratt) Oakley’s six-month investigation included placing undercover agents inside the Ocean Club where the family stayed, lie detector tests, covert surveillance and a forensic re-examination of all existing evidence. It was immediately clear that two sightings of vital importance had been reported to the police. Two men were seen carrying children near the apartments between 9pm, when Madeleine was last seen by Gerry, and 10pm, when Kate discovered her missing. The first man was seen at 9.15pm by Jane Tanner, a friend of the McCanns, who had been dining with them at the tapas bar in the resort. She saw a man carrying a girl just yards from the apartment as she went to check on her children. The second sighting was by Martin Smith and his family from Ireland, who saw a man carrying a child near the apartment just before 10pm. The earlier Tanner sighting had always been treated as the most significant, but the Oakley team controversially poured cold water on her account. Instead, they focused on the Smith sighting, travelling to Ireland to interview the family and produce E-Fits of the man they saw. Their report said the Smiths were “helpful and sincere” and concluded: “The Smith sighting is credible evidence of a sighting of Maddie and more credible than Jane Tanner’s sighting”. The evidence had been “neglected for too long” and an “overemphasis placed on Tanner”. The new focus shifted the believed timeline of the abduction back by 45 minutes. The pictures of a man who may have taken Madeleine were drawn up in 2008The pictures of a man who may have taken Madeleine were drawn up in 2008 (Adrian Sheratt) The report, delivered to the McCanns in November 2008, recommended that the revised timeline should be the basis for future investigations and that the Smith E-Fits should be released without delay. The potential abductor seen by the Smiths is now the prime suspect in Scotland Yard’s investigation, after detectives established that the man seen earlier by Tanner was almost certainly a father carrying his child home from a nearby night creche. The Smith E-Fits were the centrepiece of the Crimewatch appeal. One of the Oakley investigators said last week: “I was absolutely stunned when I watched the programme . . . It most certainly wasn’t a new timeline and it certainly isn’t a new revelation. It is absolute nonsense to suggest either of those things . . . And those E-Fits you saw on Crimewatch are ours,” he said. The detailed images of the face of the man seen by the Smith family were never released by the McCanns. But an artist’s impression of the man seen earlier by Tanner was widely promoted, even though the face had to be left blank because she had only seen him fleetingly and from a distance. Various others images of lone men spotted hanging around the resort at other times were also released. Nor were the Smith E-Fits included in Kate McCann’s 2011 book, Madeleine, which contained a whole section on eight “key sightings” and identified those of the Smiths and Tanner as most “crucial”. Descriptions of all seven other sightings were accompanied by an E-Fit or artist’s impression. The Smiths’ were the only exception. So why was such a “crucial” piece of evidence kept under lock and key? The relationship between the fund and Oakley was already souring by the time the report was submitted — and its findings could only have made matters worse. As well as questioning parts of the McCanns’ evidence, it contained sensitive information about Madeleine’s sleeping patterns and raised the highly sensitive possibility that she could have died in an accident after leaving the apartment herself from one of two unsecured doors. There was also an uncomfortable complication with Smith’s account. He had originally told the police that he had “recognised something” about the way Gerry McCann carried one of his children which reminded him of the man he had seen in Praia da Luz. Smith has since stressed that he does not believe the man he saw was Gerry, and Scotland Yard do not consider this a possibility. Last week the McCanns were told officially by the Portuguese authorities that they are not suspects. The McCanns were also understandably wary of Oakley after allegations that the chairman, Kevin Halligen, failed to pass on money paid by the fund to Exton’s team. Halligen denies this. He was later convicted of fraud in an unrelated case in the US. The McCann fund source said the Oakley report was passed on to new private investigators after the contract ended, but that the firm’s work was considered “contaminated” by the financial dispute. He said the fund wanted to continue to pursue information about the man seen by Tanner, and it would have been too expensive to investigate both sightings in full — so the Smith E-Fits were not publicised. It was also considered necessary to threaten legal action against the authors. “[The report] was hypercritical of the people involved . . . It just wouldn’t be conducive to the investigation to have that report publicly declared because . . . the newspapers would have been all over it. And it would have been completely distracting,” said the source. A statement released by the Find Madeleine fund said that “all information privately gathered during the search for Madeleine has been fully acted upon where necessary” and had been passed to Scotland Yard. It continued: “Throughout the investigation, the Find Madeleine fund’s sole priority has been, and remains, to find Madeleine and bring her home as swiftly as possible.” Insight: Heidi Blake and Jonathan Calvert
Eyebrow raising and harrowing conspiracies broached by Michael Shrimpton a specialist in National Security and Constitutional Law- a few unsavory topics are discussed in depth in the interview including what he considers what happened to the MCcanns child : [video=youtube;QNelt33QP_8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNelt33QP_8#t=847[/video]
The parents went 100% with the woefully incorrect 'evidence' of Jane Tanner and publicised it against the express wishes of the Portuguese judiciary .............
seems so marra, watching it all unfold with a vested interest, the picture after 7 days has got me at the moment, i'll see if i can find it later
Ex MI5 investigators! Well that's filled me full hope of an early conclusion. As long as it's Blofeld we are after.
Not sure what your getting at this time but anyway. Scotland Yard said they had new evidence, new witnesses and new leads on CW. None of which has been made public except the E-fits which are actually 5 years old. The Portuguese have re-opened their enquiry which would suggest to me that something has changed since they buried the case last time. Both the Portuguese and Scotland Yard have stated the McCanns are not under investigation. So I guess I'm not guessing anything.
The 'new' evidence was the timing of the sightings etc that were known about at the time. The 'new' witnesses were the Irish family who gave their statements at the time. The new leads are 2000 people calling in after watching Crimewatch. That's the only thing that's new which could be totally useless. Anything else you're talking about must be guesswork unless you know what it is ......... which you don't.
"The Judiciary Police (PJ) reopened the investigation concerning the disappearance of Madeleine McCann and they warrant that this time the parents of the girl who disappeared in Praia da Luz, Algarve, days before her fourth birthday, on May 3, 2007, are not suspects. To the DN the Portuguese police disclosed that there are ânew evidenceâ about what has happened to the child while she slept together with her two twin siblings, in the apartment at the tourist resort. They do not disclose the existence of suspects and only reveal that internally, in the coming days, a team will be created to resume the investigation. When, last week, on the 17th, the PJ hierarchy met with the Scotland Yard assistant commissioner Mark Rowley and DCI Andy Redwood, who heads the approximately 37 agents working in the British investigation, the decision to request the reopening of the investigation to the Public Ministry (MP) was communicated. The Portuguese police denies any pressure from the English, stressing that they did not cooperate directly with the Scotland Yard investigation. However, information gathered by the English police, mainly related to the past of some people that were referenced in the case files, would have complemented the analysis by the investigation team in Portugal. âThere were elements gathered that have to do with events before the disappearance of the child and others after. Relating them with those contained in the process already archived have raised a more than reasonable doubt about what happened to the child,â said a source close to the investigation to the DN, adding that a in meeting with Gerry and Kate McCann, and the lawyers of the couple, the PJ asked âabsolute silenceâ about the investigation." Don't think even you Smug are privy to Police information especially when the said Police have asked for "absolute silence" about the case. It really isn't a great leap to believe new evidence has surfaced otherwise why re-open the case and as they have asked for secrecy. Not all the info is yet in the public domain. The Police, who I have worked along side many times are very good at keeping info under wraps till they are ready. Terrorist tracking being a very good example.
Damn. He always buggers off when I'm enjoying myself.... Not a chance in Hell the McCanns did it. Something the Portuguese are now finally admitting. For the peeps that have PM'd me or clicked like on this thread, ta. Why not comment in public though?
