Friday 23 January 2015

To haste or not to haste


What was supposed to be a procedural day of the trial – big question was if facts were to be read in court or not – and with the expected discussions about them as they became known, turned out to be quite an intense and interesting day because some just came to conclusions in a hasty manner.

Wednesday’s activity was so frantic on both sides of the fence that it was like watching a crowd doing a standing ovation to an orchestra that was just tuning its instruments before a concert.

The concert was far from starting and the various critics were already acclaiming or criticising the orchestra’s performance.

Fascinating how some people failed to understand the expression “more to follow” and came to definite conclusions even before that “more” arrived.

And even more fascinating was how on the sound of the first notes played – we repeat in tuning instruments only – some just hailed the magnificence of the entire evening.

To be clear, very clear, Wednesday, in terms of the actual McCann v Amaral trial no one has won and no one has lost.

However one cannot but note, as we will explain, that the sounds made by some instruments during the tuning do make things look good for Mr Amaral but it’s never enough to stress again and again that only when the sentence is read can a definite conclusion be made about this trial.

The date of the concert is yet to be set. And it won’t be for the next 40 days at least, it seems. Up to 30 for the WoC issue, to hand, we suppose by Correia Afonso, over the London Court's authorisation to have Madeleine McCann represented by her parents in this trial and the following 10 for the “allegations of law” from all parties.

The Portuguese justice system has made us be very wary, so until then we will refrain from making conclusions about it.

As we explained in our post “Losing v Winning”, Mr Amaral cannot win this process. He can only not lose it.

But the fact that people are already stating that Mr Amaral will win, is very symptomatic.

That is done because there is indeed a sense of victory in case he doesn’t lose and because there’s a sense that if the McCanns don’t win they will have suffered a heavy defeat.

But both sensations only exist due to the fragile situation in which the McCanns have been since 2011. In fact as of 2010 as we’ll explain.

If all this took place in 2010, when Jim Gamble ran the show as we think he did, it’s our opinion that if the McCanns didn’t win we would simply get a repeat of what happened with the unnoticed overturning of the book’s banning by the Appeal Court.

Only now, years later and with this trial, are people realising that the book hasn’t been banned for years.

The Portuguese justice system would have been slandered, Portugal called an insensitive, cruel and fascist country and the McCanns would continue to be beatified in the UK.

But Jim Gamble was convinced to “relieve” himself of duties since 2010.

With their man removed from any official structure, the Swinging BH lost hold of the case and that control was then taken by the Government BH.

And it’s in the interest of the Government BH that the McCanns fall and fall hard in this trial as we’ll also explain.

For the Swinging BH, the McCanns matter only as much as they serve their interests. If there’s the possibility of having them prosecuted without implicating anyone else besides their group of friends, then it’s fine the McCanns and friends are taken away and locked up somewhere. That not being possible then the only other option acceptable is the whitewashing and that means that’s in their interest the McCanns remain above the waterline.

For the Swinging BH closure it can only be one of these two options: T9 only or whitewashing. Any other isn’t acceptable to them, and they will put up a fight.

Wednesday had the virtue to bring victories to both Government BH and GA. Both have won decisive victories. Independent of sentence.

All because the McCann ship as of Wednesday is beyond repair. It took a fatal blow to its hull. If the McCanns have always counted for little up to now, now they count for even less.

The Swinging BH side are now only worried about their own skin.

Let’s rewind a bit and contextualise things.

In 2010, Government BH decided to get closure on this issue. Convinced by the Media, as in News International and more specifically NOTW, that prosecuting the McCanns would be a piece of cake, decided to reopen the case as soon as Kate wrote her self-damning book.

Along the way they retook control by making sure Jim Gamble no longer ran the show as we’ve said.

Not having anyone in the structure of command –  Government had meanwhile changed from Labour to Conservative – is not to be in the loop and not to be in the loop is always fatal.

The reopening caught the swinging BH by surprise and prompted them to react.

And they quickly reminded the Government BH that UK was up to its neck in the mess and arresting McCanns implicating others would only pop open very inconvenient Pandora’s Boxes.

Government BH quickly realised that they couldn’t hasten things up and that the only solution to closure, as there simply is no scenario possible to incriminate only the McCanns and the T7 without involving external help, it would have to be with the Swinging BH on board.

To have them on board meant closure would have to be whitewashing. The only other one that served them.

But reality doesn’t play games, and as we have explained, whitewashing was impossible from the start.

The closest they could get to such a solution would be the bungled burglary.

On the drawing board it looked good but as anyone could see from a mile away, the casting was completely impossible.

For a long time the case remained stalemate as we know. Until up to a certain point in time when Government BH decided to proceed for closure via the only viable solution: the partial truth.

Knowing this was unacceptable for the Swinging BH all had to be done without haste. And keeping the Swinging BH on board the longest time possible.

As whitewashing looked good on the drawing board, Government BH pursued it publicly and so appeased the Swinging BH, while discreetly, without haste, eroding without remedy the hoax their “allies” had created back in 2007 with the collaboration of the UK Government in power then.

Few noticed how the noose was slowly, slowly tightening around the Swinging BH necks. We kept telling people but many thought we were just seeing things.

One of the first things that needed to be done, was to stop all “business” the McCanns had in Portugal.

Team McCann was ordered to not win.

But not just not win – for that all they had to do was find a “humane” excuse to spare Mr Amaral of further distress and drop the case – but to not win in a vexatious manner.

This was in January 2013. When they offered Mr Amaral to settle out of court.

One could try and say “when prosecution offers defense a settlement outside court it’s because they are certain they will not win” but one simply cannot do that because it’s something completely unseen before the McCanns did it.

This was the first move to humiliate the McCanns.

It was obvious that Mr Amaral would not accept the offer. If anything, it gave him positive signs that things were going to go his way.

The trial was rigged from then on.

No, not even suggesting anything about the Portuguese courts or about the judge. The trial was rigged by the prosecution. When one of the contenders is determined in not winning then the whole thing is rigged.

From September 2013 up to now, we have been forced to watch this pathetic show with one side going through the motions with no conviction whatsoever.

In September 2014, may we remind you, the Swinging BH launched their major last offensive, the Hater Campaign, which was stopped by the disgraceful reporting done by Martin Brunt for Sky News, which led, in our opinion, to Brenda Leyland’s death.

This Black Hat September episode showed how Jim Gamble remained an influential element for the Swinging BH.

But, notwithstanding Brenda’s death, the fact that SY stood its ground by standing behind their Crèche Dad against Bundleman during this crucial period showed that the Swinging BH were much less influential than they thought.

Plus, if the Black-Hat September was turbulent, it would have been much more if all had gone as planned: the SY questionings were supposed to have taken place during that month, which means it would have been in that period that the Robert Murat card – or the death of the whitewashing – would have been played by the Met.

Also it was supposed to have been during that month the final allegations of the McCann v Amaral were to have happened. When prosecution would bring such valid arguments as off-season rabbit hunting and Sunday Carnival.

With the software problem that afflicted it's justice system then, Portugal unwittingly “boycotted” 2/3 of the Government BH's moves for that month. Swinging BH had their path practically unhampered.

Thank goodness for the collective incompetence of the Gamble – Summers & Swan – Brunt trilogy who were able to implode themselves without any help.

The significant and humiliating defeat of this campaign allowed the Government BH to take advantage of the upper hand and anticipate a move: the forensics. Asking publicly for it before even sending the required rogatory letter-

The Swinging BH on a steep slope on their way down while the Government BH marched on.

SY questionings brought all groups into the spotlight: Swinging organising structure, Ocean Club, guests and ex-pats.

Final allegations was an absolute shame for the McCanns, as desired by Government BH.

So the expectation for Wednesday was great. Would, although all the efforts to the contrary, the Portuguese find proven facts that could provide the McCanns a victory?

The first report to come out, as far as we know, was this one from Lusa and published by Diário de Noticias Online:

This report was quickly translated by Joana Morais on twitter:


As it said “Court accepts as proven damages caused by Gonçalo Amaral’s book to Kate and Gerry McCann” it disheartened many reading this.

Some despaired. Some, very unjustly, simply shot the messenger, Joana Morais. She simply translated a piece of news. Yes, it was bad news to our side of the cause but it was but a translation.

Why no UK reporters in situ?

What we found interesting was what happened next based solely on this little piece of information.

The UK Media, starting with Sky News and Martin Brunt, started to spin this without waiting any further confirmation.


The McCanns had won, it was announced.

There hadn’t been any sort of sentence but the McCanns had won, that simple. That straighforward.

Based on a false assumption that the trial was under judicial secrecy the UK started to sell the story of victory. Swinging BH were boasting before confirming facts. They have so little to hold on to that anything will do.

Supposedly, they thought, the judicial secrecy would stop details of Proven/Not Proven facts to be publicly known much like we still don’t know who was and who wasn’t arguido in the SY Questionings.

The problem is that the SY Questionings are under judicial secrecy while the trial isn’t.

Once those papers that were handed out by the judge were in the hands of the defense lawyers it was inevitable that the proven and unproven facts would quickly appear on the internet.

And when they appeared they completely contradicted what had just been spun.


Martin Brunt, having learned his lesson from the Brenda Leyland episode, did a 180º turn and started to tweet the truth. He has proven us wrong on one thing. We thought he was allergic to the truth but as far as we know, his fingers haven’t fallen off his hands after he tweeted it.

So let’s look at the facts as listed here:

These were the clearly NOT PROVED facts:

#03. Defendant Gonçalo Amaral has earned from the sale of the book “Maddie, A Verdade da Mentira” an amount that is not less than € 621.000,00? and #04. Defendant Gonçalo Amaral has earned from the sale of editions in foreign languages of the book an amount that is not less than € 498.750,00? [not proven as the estimated by prosecution (1,119,750€) is more than 3 times reality (342,112€)].

#05. The book was sold in Brazil by defendant “Guerra e Paz, Editores, S.A.”

#07. Defendant Gonçalo Amaral has earned from the sale of the DVD an amount that is not less than € 112.500,00  [not proven as the estimated by prosecution (112,500€) is 2.8 times reality (40,000€)].

#09. Defendant “V.C. – Valentim de Carvalho – Filmes, Audiovisuais, S.A.” has already made the DVD, in an English version, available for immediate delivery via internet order.

#11. Because of the statements made by defendant Gonçalo Amaral in the book, in the documentary and in the interview to Correio da Manhã, the Polícia Judiciária stopped collecting information and investigating the disappearance of Madeleine  McCann.

#12. Because of the statements made by defendant Gonçalo Amaral in the book, in the documentary and in the interview to Correio da Manhã, authors Kate  McCann and Gerald  McCann are completely destroyed, from a moral, social, ethical, sentimental, family point of view, much beyond the pain that their daughter’s absence causes them.

#16. Namely because of defendant Gonçalo Amaral’s statements in the book, in the documentary and in the interview to Correio da Manhã, author Kate  McCann is immerged in a deep and serious depression, which has already made her state publicly “I wish I was in a coma, to relieve the pain”

#21. The criminal inquiry was reopened due to the appearance of new evidence [we consider this “not proved” as a statement by the court claiming ignorance as to the reasons case was reopened rather than stating that the case was reopened just on “old” evidence”].

#22. The attention of the media and of people in general diminished when defendant Gonçalo Amaral’s book was published.

#35b. The distribution for sale of book took place in conjunction with the distribution for sale of the newspaper Correio da Manhã’s edition of April 24, 2009.

So, completely clear that it was NOT PROVED to the couurt that Mr Amaral caused moral, social or ethical damages on the McCanns.

Completely NOT PROVED that Mr Amaral didn’t stop PJ from collecting information and investigating the disappearance of Madeleine  McCann

These were the clearly PROVED facts::

#01. Gonçalo Amaral made the statements that are attributed to him under item Z - item Z is the Correio da Manhã interview

#02. The cover price of the book “Maddie, A Verdade da Mentira” in Portugal is € 13.80, including VAT [we consider irrelevant a 0.47€ difference (real price 13.33€)].

#06. The DVD has a cover price of € 6,00 [we consider irrelevant the difference of 0.95€ - real price 6.95€)].

#08. The DVD that is mentioned under AN) has been edited and the edited copies have been sold by defendant “V.C. – Valentim de Carvalho – Filmes, Audiovisuais, S.A.”

#10. At least two million and two hundred thousand people have watched the programme that was broadcast on 13.4.2009

#15. Authors Kate  McCann and Gerald  McCann live under enormous daily pressure due to the need to keep their younger children away from the knowledge of defendant Gonçalo Amaral’s opinions about their moral integrity

#18. 63.369 copies of the DVD were not sold, having been destroyed afterwards

#19. Defendant Gonçalo Amaral has gone into retirement from the Polícia Judiciária on 1.6.2008 [we consider irrelevant the difference of one month (1,7,2008), as either dates are before archiving of process and book's publication].

#20. On 22.6.2008, the Attorney General’s Office published a note for the media, announcing the archiving of the inquiry, awaiting better evidence [we will disregard that as on June 22, 2008, there was no decision about the conditions in which case would be reopened, but consider a note with that content was issued on July 21, 2008. Besides this the note also prompted relevant diligences].

#23. The sale of the books was made on consignment, being subject to devolution for various reasons, like handling, manufacturing defects or their non-transaction [we consider irrelevant "partly sold on consignment, and partly firmly sold with a right to return for various motives"].

#24. The so-called “Maddie Case” has been profoundly treated within the Portuguese and foreign society, whether by the media, or through books, like those authored by Paulo Pereira Cristóvão, Manuel Catarino and Hernâni Carvalho.

#25. The so-called “Maddie Case” was commented upon by Dr. Francisco Moita Flores, former inspector, writer, criminalist and commentator, in various media.

#29. The social capital of defendant “V.C. – Valentim de Carvalho – Filmes, Audiovisuais, S.A.” is held, in 60%, by the firm “Estúdios Valentim de Carvalho, Gravações e Audiovisuais, S.A.” and, in 40%, by the Fundo de Investimento para o Cinema e o Audiovisual.

#30. Has defendant “V.C. – Valentim de Carvalho – Filmes, Audiovisuais, S.A.” ceded the rights to sell, distribute, exhibit and broadcast all of the cinematographic and audiovisual work that it creates, develops and produces to the firm “Valentim de Carvalho Multimédia, S.A.” [we consider irrelevant the fact that these rights were only sold for a period of 5 years].

#31. Until today, has the documentary been reproduced only once to be edited, published and sold in Portugal under video format, in this case a DVD.

#32. The reproduction and edition of the documentary in video format have been authorised by “Valentim de Carvalho Multimédia, S.A.” to firm “Presslivre, Imprensa Livre, S.A.”, the owner of the Correio da Manhã newspaper, according to a contract between both.

#33. Under which [contract], the DVD, its covers and packages would be, as they were, manufactured on behalf of, under order of and under the responsibility of Presslivre, in order to be distributed and sold together with newspaper Correio da Manhã.

#34. And the entire process of registering and classifying the video edition (DVD) of the documentary with ICAG would be, as it was, developed by Valentim de Carvalho Multimédia, a process whose cost would be carried by Presslivre, as it did.

#35a. The distribution for sale of documentary took place in conjunction with the distribution for sale of the newspaper Correio da Manhã’s edition of April 24, 2009.

#36. The documentary was reproduced, and even subtitled in the English language, by third parties that published it on the internet, without permission and against the will of the defendant “V.C. – Valentim de Carvalho – Filmes, Audiovisuais, S.A.”

#37. That illicit diffusion damages not only the rights that are held by defendant “V.C. – Valentim de Carvalho – Filmes, Audiovisuais, S.A.” over the documentary, but also its commercial exploration, because any citizen can watch the documentary, also only one “click” away.

Clearly PROVEN that there were many more than the defendants that spoke publicly about the case in terms not favourable to the McCanns

These were the facts that are of UNCLEAR proof:

#17. Sean and Amelie McCann will soon become aware of the conclusions that are mentioned in J), because they will go to school. It was affirmed that it was proved that Sean and Amelie started school in August of 2010 and have not learned about Mr Amaral's thesis yet, but that doesn’t clarify when does the court think the twins will be aware of conclusions of book.

#26. Authors Kate  McCann and Gerald  McCann have hired communication firms and spokespeople through the Madeleine Fund – for unknown reasons, the judge does not mention this item at all.

This leaves us with the following facts:

13. Because of the statements made by defendant Gonçalo Amaral in the book, in the documentary and in the interview to Correio da Manhã, authors Kate  McCann and Gerald McCann suffer permanent anguish, insomnia, lack of appetite, anxiety and irritability, preoccupation and indefinable fear?

Proved. The judge adds that this psychological state is pre-existent to the book, the documentary and the interview and was not caused by the book. Nonetheless, it cannot be reasonable to believe that the book, the documentary and the interview had no effect on the couple, i.e. It had an effect but that is perfectly normal.”

The PROVED fact that spawned all the haste. However, the court by stating on the same paragraph that the effect caused is “perfectly normal” it emptied out completely any possible claim for provoked distress.

14. Authors Kate McCann and Gerald McCann feel a deep shame and an indescribable ill-being because they are considered, by most people who know the theories of defendant Gonçalo Amaral, as having responsibility in the death of their daughter, being so cowardly that they have hidden her cadaver, simulating abduction, all of this to avoid criminal accusations?

Proved that the couple felt badly about being considered responsible over the hiding of their daughter's body and simulating her abduction by those who believe in Mr Amaral's thesis.

The judge states that it is not possible to determine what most people who have read or seen Mr Amaral's thesis actually think.

She adds that the plaintiffs failed to prove shame, even with Kate stating it was not shame that she felt.

The judge once more believes it is expected that the plaintiffs would feel badly about being considered responsible for hiding the body and staging an abduction - not, the judge stresses, about being responsible for their daughter's death, as is commonly, and mistakenly, believed.”

Not only the plaintiffs weren’t able to prove shame as the court finds obvious, or proved, that it was expected for them to feel bad in case they were considered responsible for hiding the body and staging an abduction.

The court is not considering them responsible for either. And uses very wisely the expression “as is commonly, and mistakenly, believed”.

To believe they are responsible for hiding the body and staging an abduction is as wrong, legally, as to believe they aren’t. The process has been archived and reopened. No one has been accused or declared innocent to this day by the ongoing investigations.

The judge says only it was expected they felt bad because they were accused of doing something they denied, in present case, hiding the body and staging an abduction.

Last but not least, for us the most the fundamental facts listed:

27. Are the facts that are reported by defendant Gonçalo Amaral in the book and in the aforementioned interviews, like he himself writes and said, facts that were established during the inquiry?

28. Does the documentary only contain facts that are also in the inquiry files?

(Both articles) It is proved that the facts in the book and in the documentary, concerning the investigation, are mostly facts that took place in the investigation and are documented as such.

The judge does note that some of the facts in the book are not complete, and some facts that are in the book are not in the case files, including Jane Tanner's "informal" recognition of Robert Murat.”

The judge took the book and PJ Files as consolidated pieces of evidence and read them herself. For that reason didn’t allow any discussion about them in the court-room.

The court has now officially considered “proved that the facts in the book and in the documentary, concerning the investigation, are mostly facts that took place in the investigation and are documented as such.

It’s in writing in an official document produced by the legitimate Portuguese Court.

For Mr Amaral it’s a victory, independent of sentence the court has considered proven that what  Mr Amaral says, or better, concludes in the book is based on facts documented in the investigation.

If he happens to lose, which we see as highly unlikely but will repeat that the Portuguese system has surprised us more times than we would care for, then he has a very powerful argument to use in the appeal.

If he happens to not lose, then he has the exact same argument to use when and how he decides to act against the McCanns in the future.

Ironically, the only fact listed as not being in the files, the “Jane Tanner’s "informal" recognition of Robert Murat” is pretty much well detailed in Kate’s book, so, certainly, NOT something they can say Mr Amaral has lied about.

We think Mr Amaral has every reason to feel satisfied at this point in time.

To those questioning why we say the Government BH has linked the pouncing on the McCanns with the Lisbon trial, here is the answer.

They needed an official ruling connecting the McCanns to whatever happened to Maddie and her body.

As we have said, the trial was rigged for the McCanns to lose. Rigged by the Government BH by ordering the McCanns to take the fall.

The court, caught in all this would have to justify why the McCanns didn’t win. It would have to declare why Mr Amaral didn’t have to pay a single cent to the McCanns.

And the only reason for that could only be because Mr Amaral didn’t cause any damage to the McCanns with what he wrote in his book.

They got more than they bargained for. What Amaral wrote IS NOW A PROVED FACT that it is documented in the investigation.

It couldn’t get any clearer. Or more damning for the McCanns.

The McCann ship is beyond repair. Impossible to recover. Impossible to whitewash.

Everyone is happy.

Oh, except some people, of course.

60 comments:

  1. Thanks for such a thorough interpretation of events. You have made it all seem perfectly clear.
    In my own mind I am wondering what drives and motivates Mr Brunt..
    My mind is often occupied with what goes on in the heads of the individuals involved..

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have read your post but still don't understand why you say that b h wanted the mccanns to fall, so will it be whitewash or not as you seem to be saying the mccanns are being protected by government and if so why. I am totally confused

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous 23 Jan 2015, 10:47:00,

      Can you please clarify where in post we say Government is protecting Mcs?

      We understand because we discuss in detail, but it could be understood by some that we think present government is protecting.

      And we have clearly stated we don't believe there's going to be a whitewashing.

      Governments change, politicians change and so do loyalties.

      Swinging discussion in the media is now becoming more open. It's seen as a legitimate lifestyle choice, rather than something which should to lead to a witch-hunt.

      Or a reason to assist in a cover-up.

      Or a reason to spend so much money on it.

      Delete
  3. Brilliant blog, thank-you for making some sense out of this weird case. To most people the fact that this investigation has gone on for this length of time without a conclusion being reached, when there IS enough evidence to ask some serious questions about what exactly has been covered up. I wonder if after all this we will be any wiser about what happened to Madeleine. I hope one day 'Dr Amaral' can look back and remember he was the one who helped to get justice for this innocent little girl!

    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you Textusa. Brilliant analysis as usual. Let's see what SY's next move is.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Is the wardship issue now irrelevant, given that the only damages claim in relation to M was hindering the search?
    If this claim is not proved, there are no damages which relate to M?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you Textusa!!
    This will play on.Expecting appeals from the Mccanns,they have to save face!!
    Whatever Monetery cover they are getting isn't for their protection,but rather to keep the Truth from being outed.There seems to be,definitely,more than 9 "Tapas Group"!! Mr Amaral dosen't have to "save face",for he will always be "The Face Of Justice For Madeline Beth Mccann!" i am optimistic,however long it will be,that justice will pravail!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. You have ,once again Textusa,made my day,I am now mentally "ready" for the usual barrage of support for the MaCann,s" innocence" that follows anything reported by MSM!!! Brilliant,thank you .Lynn.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you Textusa.
    A thorough analysis of the situation as it currently stands.

    You and your team give me hope that justice will be served for Madeleine.

    ReplyDelete
  9. cheers Texusa,it was this piece that sounded like the gov were protecting them

    As we have said, the trial was rigged for the McCanns to lose. Rigged by the Government BH by ordering the McCanns to take the fall.



    surely the mccanns would not take the fall willingly if they were not being protected.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thank you Textusa. I have been thinking along the same lines for a long time. Seeing this in print means my head will hurt a lot less thinking about this case now. I believe it is slowly unravelling, although it may not be allowed to unravel all the way. Depends how much we are allowed to know.

    One question though - what do you think the Government BH's were covering up?

    BlackCat

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I mean were the Swinging BHs and the Government BH's covering up the same thing - i.e. swinging - only from different perspectives/loyalties. Or were the Government BHs covering up something different?

      BC

      Delete
    2. I mean were the Swinging BHs and the Government BHs covering up the same thing or event - i.e. swinging - only with different perspectives/loyalites. Or were the Government BHs covering up something different? Which happened at the same event/location as the swinging?

      Delete
    3. BlackCat

      Not answering the question you're really asking (hopefully you'll understand) and supposing the UK Government had no direct interest in the events of that week, its intervention in Luz and following snowballing of things warranted a cover-up of their own actions.

      http://textusa.blogspot.pt/2010/12/wikileaks-is-finally-mccannleaks.html

      Delete
  11. They were protected, but as Textusa has pointed out, people and politics change - They are no longer protected, and for those in the fringes, the fodder, in my opinion they will be given the option, join us and aid the process or go down - either way we don't care, because this is happening, and it's happening inside 6 months.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Textusa. One things for sure when this episode comes to a satisfactory conclusion which I, along with everyone else, certainly hopes it will, there'll be an awful lot of people disappearing off the internet never to be heard of again!

    ReplyDelete
  13. And speaking of Gamble and his usefulness to society:
    http://www.itv.com/news/update/2015-01-23/ipcc-to-probe-ceop-over-handling-of-intelligence/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-30955237

      Gamble wasn't there anymore in 2012, but that's the legacy he left.

      Delete
  14. A good description of a Black Hat:
    http://www.sagaciousnewsnetwork.com/malignant-narcissists-are-morally-insane/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous 23 Jan 2015, 22:46:00,

      Won't apply to all BHs. Some may be acting out of fear, others may simply justify their actions for other reasons, or may now sincerely regret what they did but feel there is no way out.

      The malignant narcissists can wear the cap if it fits.

      The problem is, they don't recognise what they are, so the cap will never be regarded as a fit for them.

      Delete
  15. Thank you Textusa for that fascinating insight into all this.

    There is the transcript of an interview with Snr Amaral yesterday here:

    Note that he says about Robert Murat "and now it seems that he is an arguido again"

    Nuala x

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sorry I left out the link:

    There is the transcript of an interview with Snr Amaral yesterday here:

    http://themaddiecasefiles.com/post321465.html#p321465

    Nuala x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Nuala! And Maddie Case Files!

      Gonçalo Amaral’s interview on Agora Nós, RTP1, 23.01.2015



      Anchor – Today, our guest is Gonçalo Amaral who was on the news again yesterday because of the lawsuit that the McCann couple filed against him. Good morning, Gonçalo.

      Gonçalo Amaral – Good morning.

      Anchor – I read in your book that you wrote this book to defend your honour. The first question that I have for you is: Were you in any way attacked by the McCanns before the publication of the book, or even during the investigation? Were you with them, did you question them?

      Gonçalo Amaral – That is a very good question. There was indeed a series of attacks, not just directed at me but at the investigation. Those attacks came not only from the parents’ side, but also from their support staff and from journalists, English and even Portuguese. That honour was not only personal but also professional. The investigation was at stake, an investigation that was never defended here in Portugal, namely by someone at the top of the Polícia Judiciária – and it’s me who defends those initial months of the investigation, and that is what the book was published for. That is one of the issues that are raised by the Lisbon Appeals Court, at the time of the injunction, which supports me, and establishes that it was licit for me to write the book.

      Anchor – If you don’t mind, let’s return to the start of this story, the McCann case was the most media exposed ever, as far as the alleged abduction of a child, Madeleine McCann, is concerned. This book, “Maddie, A Verdade da Mentira”, that was written by you, why was it so controversial? What does it contain?

      Gonçalo Amaral – What it contains is the conclusions of the process, of a report that exists, in September of 2007, which says that at that moment of the investigation, suspicion falls upon the [McCann] couple in terms of an accidental death inside the apartment, neglect in watching over their children that had been abandoned, and the concealment of a corpse. That is in the process and with this decision, which is not a final decision, it is merely a reply to the facts that were at stake during the trial, it agrees that this was in the process.

      Anchor – The process is not concluded yet, it is still ongoing –

      Gonçalo Amaral – It is still in the lower court, now there will be legal arguments, then there will be a verdict –

      Anchor – We are at the stage of replies to the proved facts, is that it?

      Gonçalo Amaral – Proved and not proved.

      Anchor – Did you question them? Did you meet them?

      Gonçalo Amaral – I met them but the questioning was performed by others, by inspectors. A coordinator does not question directly, that was done by the inspectors. But I met them.

      Anchor – You accompanied this process from the beginning…

      Gonçalo Amaral – I accompanied the process, the investigation from the 3rd of May of 2007 until I left the investigation on the 2nd of October of 2007. I accompanied it, participating in the investigation.

      (cont)

      Delete
    2. (cont)

      Anchor – And what happened yesterday? What was the accusation –

      Gonçalo Amaral – There was no accusation yesterday. Not yesterday, the day before yesterday. What was done is – there is a decision from the magistrate, the judge, saying what is proved and what is not proved. That decision says that it is not proved that I caused the couple any damages, social or psychological or moral damages. So what was being questioned, it’s not the book that causes such damages; they were already destroyed before the book. That is important. It’s important because in this kind of process, what is at stake, contrary to what the couple said, that what was at stake was the investigation, whether they are guilty or not, none of that was being discussed there. What was at stake there was whether or not that book and that documentary could be made, if they were licit or not, if they caused the couple any damages, and whether or not it was possible to establish a causal nexus between the book and the damages. And the indications that are given lead me, and my lawyer, and people who have already read the document, to believe that there may be – there may be – a favourable verdict.

      Anchor – There is a contradiction between the news that came out –

      Gonçalo Amaral – There is no contradiction. There is complete manipulation of the media.

      Anchor – Can you clarify that?

      Gonçalo Amaral - Lusa agency, since all of this began, has been taking sides – I wouldn’t say as much as they have taken the side of the couple, but they have taken the side of the couple’s lawyer. So there have been completely false news about me. I remember an article that was published in 2009 or 2010, which mentioned I was going to be tried over torture in a certain case, that I had been accused of torture. I was in Spain at that time and I called, it was already 7 or 8 p.m. and I said “Excuse me, but this is not true. I am being accused of omitting a denunciation and making a false statement, not of torture”. And the reply that I got from the Lusa journalist was that it’s them that make the news, that it was not for me to meddle with their work and that is how it’s been –

      Anchor – Even though they were talking about your life.

      Gonçalo Amaral – That’s another thing that happened throughout all of these years, not only the five years of this process, but since 2007 they have been rummaging… I don’t know what else there may be.

      Anchor – The fact is that concerning the McCann couple, the McCann couple was never formally tried. They were never accused. So in your book we have a contradiction with the law.

      Gonçalo Amaral – What is the contradiction? I don’t accuse them. I am nobody, I’m not a magistrate, I’m not the case magistrate to write up an accusation –

      Anchor – But you had knowledge, you were part of the investigation –

      Gonçalo Amaral – I was a technician, I’m a technician, and like anyone else, I have the right to an opinion. And as a technician, based not only on my professionalism, but also on my knowledge as a technician, I have the right to have a technical opinion. And that book contains a technical opinion, based on facts that are in the process and that the judge says are in the process. Essentially, as is said, they are in the process. Therefore, saying that they were not accused… The process was – when I left there was already a movement to have the case archived. From the moment that they are made arguidos, everything moves to shelve the case. Interest was lost; the interest was to archive the case. And they succeeded in shelving the case. It was in the couple’s interest to have the case archived, and two things happen: The couple does nothing, and they could have done something when there was a shelving, to continue into the instruction [phase] to keep the process going, for the truth to be found. You see, the conclusions that we reached were the conclusions of an investigation. And an investigation, like someone said, is always a zigzagging of the moment. And we might even have reached the end of the investigation –

      (cont)

      Delete
    3. (cont)

      Anchor – In this case, this investigation was very traumatising, very disorganised…

      Gonçalo Amaral – Disorganised, in what way?

      Anchor - Because nothing was concluded, so many years later the child’s whereabouts haven’t been found.

      Gonçalo Amaral – Because of interferences that took place, without interferences we would have gone further. Have no doubts about that. That is why the process was archived. When the shelving took place, the couple and another person were arguidos. Any one of them could have requested the opening of the instruction and continued the process. None of them did it, the couple because they didn’t want to, they didn’t want to do it, and the other person because he received compensation from the British courts, so he didn’t do it, he was very satisfied, and now it seems that he is an arguido again. This is what happens –

      Anchor - We have to ask one last question. The truth is that the McCann couple – and this is a question and not a statement – demanded compensation worth 1.2 million euro from you because of the publication of the book “A Verdade da Mentira”. This book was very controversial because it was also a success. Many people read it –

      Anchor – Many copies were sold.

      Anchor – Exactly. Many people read it and created their own opinion. Do you think that in some way that opinion drew people away from the possibility of believing in that child’s parents?

      Gonçalo Amaral – No, it didn’t, quite the opposite. The book, which was successful in a way that nobody expected – the contract with the editor was even made based on sales targets, 10 thousand books sold would mean a certain percentage and so on – therefore a very normal contract, nobody was thinking about bestsellers or anything like that. What the book brought was more publicity for the case. And people were not drawn away. There are many people who still defend the couple’s thesis. There are other people – those diverging opinions already existed before the book. They already existed practically before the book. What motivates the couple to file the lawsuit of 1.2 million euro may be the money. They have a firm, a firm where they are members of the board, called Madeleine Fund, which is to look for their daughter, but they are members of the board, it’s a firm, it’s not a social association, or social solidarity, it’s a firm, it’s registered in England as a firm. And what they always wanted was to destabilise me. When they went to Oprah’s programme in the United States, they said it, they wrote on their website that they hope that now nobody believes in that person anymore, for this and that –

      (cont)

      Delete
    4. (cont)

      Anchor – But Gonçalo, they had to defend themselves with the weapons at hand, if they think they are innocent…

      Gonçalo Amaral – Indeed they do. I will give you one example. We speak about the book and we speak about the documentary. We forget another detail. In 2009, in January of 2009, I lived in the Algarve and was indicated to run for mayor of Olhão on behalf of the Social Democratic Party [PSD]. And that alerted that family, that situation of destabilising me, and Mr Gerald McCann came to Lisbon, there’s news from that time, he met with a top political official from PSD who has a French surname, with Dr Rogério Alves and with Dr Isabel Duarte – this is what is said, it’s what was published – and what happened then was that PSD gave me up as a candidate. This puts rights at stake, the rights of a citizen, the rights of a Portuguese citizen, and someone comes from the outside to do it. It’s the right to be elected. And this is when they start thinking about the lawsuit. It’s not about what is in the book, what is in the documentary, because what the book and the documentary contain is what is in the process. They contain technical opinions. And it’s the fear of that issue – when they come over here and put the right to be elected at stake, with the acquiescence of people inside PSD, that this happened.

      Anchor – Thank you very much, Gonçalo. Our time is short but this is a subject that we would like to discuss in more depth. We will continue to follow this because the process is still in its early stages.

      Gonçalo Amaral – There is no motive to get too excited, but it’s a good indication of what may be the decision.

      Anchor – Thank you for joining us today.



      video: http://www.rtp.pt/play/p1629/e180119/agora-nos/405316 - interview starts at 22:43

      Delete
  17. "Gonçalo Amaral – Because of interferences that took place, without interferences we would have gone further. Have no doubts about that. That is why the process was archived. When the shelving took place, the couple and another person were arguidos. Any one of them could have requested the opening of the instruction and continued the process. None of them did it, the couple because they didn’t want to, they didn’t want to do it, and the other person because he received compensation from the British courts, so he didn’t do it, he was very satisfied, and now it seems that he is an arguido again. This is what happens –"

    Mr Amaral clearly states, as our reader Nuala pointed out, that Robert Murat was heard in December as an arguido.

    If this is true, then the fact it wasn't reported by MSM, is very interesting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. But weren't questionings delayed because of whether he was to be arguido or not?
      All his protests before that about him being wanted for questioning being a fantasy shows he can lie convincingly.
      He knew well he was going to be arguido again.

      Delete
    2. http://themaddiecasefiles.com/topic23946.html
      RM was denying this was true, but wouldn't his lawyer check if what had been written was correct, before calling it a fantasy?

      Delete
    3. 11.45
      Agree totally. Malinka was made arguido in July. Surely this and an article in the press naming RM was enough to suggest it was no fantasy?

      Delete
  18. GA seems confident.
    The Mcs behaviour regarding his candidacy for mayor was appalling.
    This would be a good case to sue, if he chooses to.
    And Lusa is being exposed as being influenced by Mc lawyers. It does explain that first report that was contrary to what the court had said.

    ReplyDelete
  19. From K's diary .....MONDAY, MAY 14: I slept well last night after a not very good end of the day, frustration with the FLO (Portuguese police family liaison officer) asking me where would my little M be.

    Oh so the book did cause her insomnia after all!!!! She was sleeping well 10 days after losing her daughter!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous 24 Jan 2015, 11:02:00,

      In our post "Mr. Amaral Thanks You, Kate McCann", K is quoted as saying how devastating the arguido status was.
      http://textusa.blogspot.pt/2013/09/mr-amaral-thanks-you-kate-mccann.html

      Yet later, they say they expected that but the book was worse.

      They just can't stick to one story

      Delete
  20. Some more good news this morning.

    A more truthful report from the Express:

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘McCanns will lose £1m libel trial’ Judge’s initial findings go against couple

    http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/554107/McCanns-will-lose-1m-trial-Portuguese-judge-s-initial-findings-against-Kate-and-Gerry

    Nuala x

    ReplyDelete
  21. http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/554107/McCanns-will-lose-1m-trial-Portuguese-judge-s-initial-findings-against-Kate-and-Gerry

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘McCanns will lose £1m libel trial’ Judge’s initial findings go against couple

    The former Portuguese detective locked in a libel battle with Kate and Gerry McCann is confident of winning the case after a judge accepted some of his arguments.

    By James Murray
    Published: 00:01, Sun, January 25, 2015

    Goncalo Amaral claimed in his book, The Truth Of The Lie, that evidence suggested Madeleine, then three, died in apartment 5a of the Ocean Club in the Algarve’s Praia da Luz in 2007.

    The book became a best seller and Amaral also worked on a television documentary detailing its claims.

    However, Kate and Gerry McCann sued the detective for libel, claiming the book was a “slander”.

    Last week in Lisbon Judge Maria Emilia Melo e Castro set out in some detail what she had found to be proven and not proven, although she has not given her final verdict.

    She did not find that because of statements in the book, documentary and a newspaper interview Kate and Gerry had been “completely destroyed” from a “moral, ethical and family point of view beyond the pain that their daughter’s absence causes them”. And she said it was not proven that they would suffer “permanent anguish, insomnia, lack of appetite and an indefinable fear”.

    The judge said this psychological state existed before the publication of the book but added that it was normal for the couple to be affected by the book and they would also have “felt badly” over allegations by Mr Amaral that they hid their daughter’s body.

    However, it was not possible to determine what most people think after reading Mr Amaral’s theories, she said, and she found it was not proven that the attention of the media and of people in general diminished when Amaral’s book was published.

    The judge thought it was proven that some facts in the documentary and book came from police files used by the investigation team, although others did not.

    At the libel trial in Lisbon last July Kate, from Rothley, Leicestershire, spent 55 minutes detailing the distress the book and follow-up documentary had caused them, revealing that details of claims had even reached their nine-year-old children, Sean and Amelie.

    Kate said: “Sean asked me in October last year, ‘Mr Amaral said you hid Madeleine, didn’t he?’ I just said, ‘He did, and he has said a lot of silly things’.

    cont

    ReplyDelete
  22. cont

    “I believe that after the book things got worse and were compounded because we were in a more desperate situation and felt defeated.”

    Closing her evidence, Kate said: “I do believe in freedom of speech, but I don’t believe freedom of speech means the freedom to slander.”

    Heart doctor Gerry McCann told the hearing: “The book is an affront to me, my wife, my family and the people who believe in us.

    “The ¬documentary is even worse. It starts off that Madeleine is dead, that there is no -abduction and essentially claims myself, my wife and our friends are liars and would be so cold and ruthless as to hide our ¬daughter’s body rather than try to help her should something have happened.

    “When the file was closed it was made clear there was no evidence that Madeleine was dead and no evidence Kate and I were responsible for hiding her body.”

    The McCanns’ lawyer, Isabel Duarte, could not be contacted by the Sunday Express for her assessment of the judge’s findings to date.

    She is hoping to win £1million in damages from Mr Amaral and has always been confident of victory.

    Mr Amaral, now retired and living in Lisbon after the break-up of his marriage, went on Portuguese television on Friday morning.

    In a long interview he was asked why he wrote the book, and said: “The investigation was at stake, an investigation that was never defended here in Portugal, namely by someone at the top of the Policia Judiciaria and it’s me who defends those initial months of the investigation.”

    Mr Amaral said the indications given so far led him to believe that the verdict, which is expected this spring, may be “favourable” to him.

    Scotland Yard officers continue to investigate Madeleine’s disappearance but have so far failed to make a breakthrough.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Nuala and Anonymous 25 Jan 2015, 09:34:00,

    Tide is physically changing.

    Some people are starting to feel feet wet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. GA did ask for it to be behind closed doors. The Mcs opposed it.
      Bet they wish they hadn't.

      Delete
  24. Martin Grime rogatory
    I have never met nor spoken to Gerald McCann. However, I do know that he addressed my head supervisor at the time, the South Yorkshire head of Police, Mr.Meredith Hughes."
    See a pattern here?
    How did G have time to interfere with Mr.Amaral's mayoral candidacy and Grime's work, and why?

    ReplyDelete
  25. From Gerry McCann's mouth TRUTH can come out:

    “It starts off that Madeleine is dead, that there is no -abduction and essentially claims myself, my wife and our friends are liars and would be so cold and ruthless as to hide our ¬daughter’s body rather than try to help her should something have happened.
    “When the file was closed it was made clear there was no evidence that Madeleine was dead and no evidence Kate and I were responsible for hiding her body.”

    ReplyDelete
  26. They, the McCann's always seem to be one step ahead of the game so it seems, so desperate to cover their own backsides they resort to getting anyone on board who is useful to them, for the purpose of hiding the truth of what happened to Madeleine.

    Martin Grimes being met at the airport in faro (red flag)
    Interfering in Dr Amarals work in Portugal (another red flag)
    Kate frantically trying to contact the nanny in Portugal before they escaped back to the UK what was all that about? I hope they've got their life-jackets ready the boats about to capsize.

    ReplyDelete
  27. In the usual book shops in town, I couldn't see Summers book on shelves anymore. It has never been promoted in window displays.
    Has anyone else seen it?
    K book was there.

    ReplyDelete
  28. http://portugalresident.com/as-dust-settles-on-judge%E2%80%99s-findings-mccann-%E2%82%AC12-million-%E2%80%9Clibel-win%E2%80%9D-looks-distinctly-shaky

    Posted by portugalpress on January 25, 2015
    As dust settles on judge’s findings, McCann €1.2 million “libel win” looks distinctly shaky


    It took some hours for the much-awaited “reading of the proven facts” to come through last week - and even then newspapers here and abroad got it wrong.

    In Britain, the Daily Express ran with the headline: “Kate and Gerry McCann win court ruling in £1 million libel battle against ex-police chief”.

    Here, Lusa news agency proclaimed “Court rules damages caused by Gonçalo Amaral to Kate and Gerry McCann proved”.

    But they both jumped the gun.

    Within hours Público realised the mistake and pulled the Lusa story from its website, running instead with the much-fairer “Court proves Kate and Gerry McCann were “not destroyed” by book by Gonçalo Amaral”.

    Lusa regained its equilibrium, posting a revised story the next day carrying much the same headline.

    And then this morning (Sunday), four days after judge Emília Mello e Castro handed the lawyers her “reading of the proven facts” - the cornerstones on which she will base her judgement on the long-running case - the Express has done a complete U-turn, running with a new headline proclaiming: “Exclusive: McCann’s will lose £1 million libel trial”

    In fact, the exclusive belongs to the Algarve’s Len Port - the only journalist who got the story right first time.

    Writing on his Portugal Newswatch blogsite, reproduced regularly by this Portugal Resident news portal, Port’s Wednesday post: “Amaral supporters optimistic about judge’s rulings in McCann libel case” was, in the end, a far more succinct version of what unfolded in Lisbon four days ago.

    The reason for the confusion was perhaps two-fold. First, it took reporters time to get their hands on Emília Mello e Castro’s complete list of “proven facts” in the case that centres on Amaral’s book, A Verdade da Mentira (The Truth of the Lie); and second, there appears to have been a degree of press manipulation.

    But now that the facts are in the public domain, we can summarise key findings.

    Certainly, the likelihood of a resounding McCann win looks distinctly shaky.

    Port’s report of “cautious optimism” among Amaral supporters was in itself characteristically cautious.

    Supporters of the beleaguered former police inspector targeted by the McCann’s are positively crowing from the rooftops.

    “AS OF WEDNESDAY, THE MCCANN SHIP IS BEYOND REPAIR”, JUBILANT TEXTUSA BLOG REPORTED.

    The UK’s Miscarriage of Justice forum took to Twitter to confirm: “Court holds as not proven that book hampered search for Madeleine”, while myriad followers of the case were enthusiastic about what they called the “wonderful news coming from Portugal”.

    It was a window in on the welter of support for Amaral’s right to have written his hypothesis for the disappearance of the world’s most famous missing person seven years ago.

    As he has frequently told interviewers since the McCann’s lodged their civil action for a reported €1.2 million in damages against him, his life has been made a misery by their action and his “civil position” a target for what he terms “assassination”.

    Talking to RTP as the dust began to settle last week, Amaral elaborated on the hiccups caused by what he termed “complete manipulation of the media”.

    “Lusa agency, since all of this began, has been taking sides”, he said. “I wouldn’t say as much as they have taken the side of the couple, but they have taken the side of the couple’s lawyer. So there has been completely false news about me”.

    cont

    ReplyDelete
  29. cont

    Amaral also elaborated on the “assassination of his civil position”.

    “In 2009, in January of 2009, I lived in the Algarve and was indicated to run for mayor of Olhão on behalf of the Social Democratic Party [PSD]. That alerted the family and Mr Gerald McCann came to Lisbon… he met with a top political official from PSD who has a French surname, with Dr Rogério Alves and with Dr Isabel Duarte… what happened then was that PSD gave me up as a candidate. This puts the rights of a citizen, the rights of a Portuguese citizen, at stake”.

    It was at this point, Amaral told his interviewer, that the McCanns started “thinking about the lawsuit” that is now in its final stages.

    Key facts proven and unproven:

    Because of the statements made by defendant Gonçalo Amaral in the book (Truth of the Lie), in the documentary and in the interview to Correio da Manhã, the Polícia Judiciária stopped collecting information and investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann? Not proved

    Because of the statements made by defendant Gonçalo Amaral in the book, in the documentary and in the interview to Correio da Manhã, authors Kate McCann and Gerald McCann are completely destroyed, from a moral, social, ethical, sentimental, family point of view, much beyond the pain that their daughter’s absence causes them? Not proved

    Because of the statements made by defendant Gonçalo Amaral in the book, in the documentary and in the interview to Correio da Manhã, authors Kate McCann and Gerald McCann suffer permanent anguish, insomnia, lack of appetite, anxiety and irritability, preoccupation and indefinable fear? Proved, but the judge adds that this psychological state is pre-existent to the book, the documentary and the interview and was not caused by the book. Nonetheless, it cannot be reasonable to believe that the book, the documentary and the interview had no effect on the couple, i.e. It had an effect but that is perfectly normal.

    Because of defendant Gonçalo Amaral’s statements in the book, in the documentary and in the interview to Correio da Manhã, author Kate McCann is immersed in a deep and serious depression, which has already made her state publicly “I wish I was in a coma, to relieve the pain”? Not proved

    The attention of the media and of people in general diminished when defendant Gonçalo Amaral’s book was published? Not proved

    For a full list of the proven facts, see the maddiecasefiles.com.

    As Len Port explained in his initial report on the judge’s findings: “The McCanns now have time to seek and present authorisation from the British High Court to formally represent their daughter in this case. Madeleine was made a ward of court at the instigation of her parents in April 2008. This could have a bearing on the amount of any compensation eventually awarded”.

    “No date has been set for a verdict but it is thought to be more than two months away. Even when it comes, the verdict will probably not be the end of the matter. An appeal is likely.”

    The veteran journalist concluded: “Amaral has let it be known that he is considering instigating a counter defamation lawsuit against the McCanns to seek compensation for the enormous damages on different levels he claims they have caused him”.

    Natasha Donn
    natasha.donn@algarveresident.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Natasha Donn and Portugal Resident,

      Thank you for the mention!

      Delete
  30. Very interesting paragraph from Anne Guedes:
    http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/ReadingFacts_21_01_2015.htm

    "As there was no journalist neither in the court room nor outside (only photographers expecting the McCanns like Vladimir and Estragon wait for Godot), as none of the defense lawyers would have misled the Press Agency Lusa to their disadvantage, the reader will need no hypothetico-deductive method to find out who grossly disinformed an institution that still plays a decisive part in the international circulation of the news."

    ReplyDelete
  31. Daily Mail has a piece about the Lisbon trial now:

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2925419/Kate-Gerry-McCann-hurt-former-police-chief-s-book-missing-Madeleine-judge-finds.html

    Nuala x

    ReplyDelete
  32. Could Jose Luis Arnaut be the man with a French surname who is mentioned by Gonçalo Amaral in his interview?

    “He was elected Secretary General of the Social Democratic Party [PSD], under the direction of [José Manuel Barroso [President of the European Commission, serving from 2004 to 2014].between 1999 and 2004, later assuming the position of Vice-President of its National Policy Committee from 2004 to 2005.He joined the XV and XVI Constitutional Governments, first as Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister, having among other responsibilities, for Sport and Youth from 2002 to 2004 and later as Minister of Cities, Local Government, Housing and Regional Development, 2004-2005
    While Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister, José Luis Arnaut spearheaded the organization of the Euro 2004 football tournament held in Portugal (…)”
    http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Lu%C3%ADs_Arnaut

    The candidacy for the Euro 2004 was launched by Jose Socrates, then Minister of Environment in Antonio Guterres’ socialist government (1999-2002)

    José Luis Arnaut was nominated to work for Goldman Sachs in Jannuary 2014
    http://www.publico.pt/economia/noticia/jose-luis-arnaut-nomeado-para-o-conselho-consultivo-internacional-do-goldman-sachs-1619237
    http://expresso.sapo.pt/jose-luis-arnaut-na-goldman-sachs-uma-excelente-noticia-para-portugal=f850367

    Last year In November, his office in Lisbon was searched by PJ for allegedly accessing electronically a bank account.
    His partner in that office is Rui Pena was Minister of Defence for Antonio Guterres (Socialist Party)
    http://expresso.sapo.pt/pj-faz-buscas-no-escritorio-de-rui-pena-e-jose-luis-arnaut=f897865

    He’s now allegedly involved in a controversial USD 385 Miilion loan from Goldman Sachs to Banco Espírito Santo (BES) the then biggest Portuguese private bank that imploded last Summer.
    http://www.ionline.pt/artigos/dinheiro/bes-jose-luis-arnaut-envolvido-no-emprestimo-goldman-sachs
    http://www.wsj.com/articles/inside-goldman-sachss-loan-to-banco-espirito-santo-1421671764?KEYWORDS=arnaut

    The Maddie curse?

    ReplyDelete
  33. Hi Textusa!!
    Can you shed any light on the WOC issue?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous 25 Jan 2015, 22:23:00,

      We can't answer, other than to say the Mcs have known for some time that confirmation of their ability to act for M is in question.

      The major reason for taking action against GA was for hindering the search and significant damages were claimed on her behalf.

      Why they have chosen to delay this until after the latest hearing is a mystery. We can't imagine that it would take that much time to confirm that the court had given them permission to bring this action as issue was raised January last year.

      Delete
    2. The status of Madeleine McCann as being a ward of Court is possibly not the problem here but what was at the time and certainly is now is the physical status
      of Madeleine.

      Is she alive or is she dead?

      Because this status is unknown ( or unproven ) then and now could you lodge a damages claim on behalf of someone who's current existence is unknown?

      Just as you can't slander or libel a person who is no longer alive can you ' damage'
      someone or someone's reputation or wellbeing who may or may not be dead?

      Basically until Madeleine's existence is proven either way ( i.e by finding her) then
      can a claim be made on her behalf? By her Ward or parents?

      Theoretically if the Judge declares damages in Madeleine's favour is it implicit in
      that judgement that Madeleine is still alive or may be alive?

      Conversely the opposite if Mr Amaral wins, does that means the Judge implicitly thinks she is more likely dead?

      Opinion though.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous 25 Jan 2015, 22:23:00,

      Allegation was damage to search, not Maddie nor about about her feelings being damaged.

      It's not the role of Judge to determine what happened to Maddie, so the final decision is not a legal judgement about her fate.

      And damage to search - not proved.

      The search is ongoing, but everything points to the search being for a dead child. A child who has been dead since 2007.

      Delete
  34. From C in Ireland. It seems that Isabel Duarte and Jose Luis Arnaut may have some connection - Joana Morais has covered it, it seems, but has closed her blog. See here, the start of:

    The real reason for the shameful McCanns claim against ...
    joana-morais.blogspot.com/.../real-reason-for-shameful-mccanns-claim.h...
    May 17, 2009 - Note : Isabel Duarte a good friend of Mr José LUIS ARNAULT, PPD/PSD said to be present in a meeting with Gerry McCann in his last visit in

    ReplyDelete
  35. http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/421998/Former-cop-who-accused-McCanns-of-covering-up-Maddie-death-says-they-will-lose-libel-case

    McCann cop claims couple will lose £1m libel case against him

    THE former Portuguese cop who accused Madeleine McCann’s parents of covering up her death said he expects them to lose their £1million libel battle against him.

    By Jerry Lawton / Published 26th January 2015

    Goncalo Amaral, 57, said early rulings by the judge in the case suggested her verdict may be 'favourable' to him.

    Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry, both 46, claim the ex-cop's controversial book about the then-three-year-old's disappearance in 2007 left them devastated.

    In his book and a follow-up TV documentary Mr Amaral said he suspected the youngster had died in the family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz and accused the couple of hiding the tragedy

    Kate spent 55 minutes detailing to the court in Portugal's capital Lisbon the distress she said his claims had caused.

    But the couple's chances of pocketing a big pay-out appear to be dashed after the judge gave a crushing preliminary ruling.

    Judge Maria Emilia Melo e Castro said she did not find the couple had been 'completely destroyed' from a 'moral, ethical and family point of view' as a result of the book.

    She said it was not proven they would suffer 'permanent anguish, insomnia, lack of appetite and an indefinable fear'.

    The judge said this psychological state existed before the publication of Mr Amaral's The Truth Of The Lie.

    She said it was normal for the couple to be affected by the book and they would have 'felt badly' over allegations by Mr Amaral that they hid their daughter's body.

    But she said it was not possible to determine what most people would have thought after reading Mr Amaral's theories.

    The McCanns have claimed Mr Amaral's assertion their daughter is dead stopped people looking for her.

    The judge said she was satisfied some facts in the book came from official Portuguese police files - though others did not.

    She is due to give her final ruling next month.

    Mr Amaral, who is now retired, told Portuguese TV her indications so far led him to believe he would win the case.

    He said he wrote the book to defend the initial police probe into Madeleine's disappearance which he led for four months before being axed after accusing Brit detectives of siding with the McCanns

    The McCanns' lawyer Isabel Duarte was unavailable for comment on the judge's initial findings.

    Scotland Yard detectives are conducting a £10m investigation in a bid to find out what happened to Madeleine.

    They have cleared the McCanns of any involvement and suspect she was killed in a botched burglary.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Daily Star reporting on the Lisbon trial now:

    http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/421998/Former-cop-who-accused-McCanns-of-covering-up-Maddie-death-says-they-will-lose-libel-case

    Nuala x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous 26 Jan 2015, 13:50:00 and Nuala,

      Isn't this article just what we wrote on our "Haywhimee, Roses and Thorns" post?

      "It was like watching a documentary about the beauty of roses but with a very clear and objective emphasis on the thorns.

      Yes, roses are beautiful but those nasty thorns of theirs simply cling to cloth and they will destroy a silk dress like cat claws on curtains. And let me not talk about damages on velvet covered furniture. A dreadful nightmare. They do smell nice but those pointy things are like blades on skin and I have lost count of how many times I had to go buy more and more disinfectant for the cuts. The flowers are charming but the thorns are brown, ugly and honestly a nuisance. If only roses didn’t have them… mind you, I love roses, but… you know, roses are indeed red also red is the blood that is spilled after the thorns rip the skin.

      Did the words above make you love roses more or less? Yet it is said they are beautiful, that they do smell nice and that they are charming."

      http://textusa.blogspot.pt/2014/11/haywhimee-roses-and-thorns.html

      Delete
    2. Textusa,

      In Feb last year Star are aware that Jose da Silva was a person of interest. He was arguido only in July

      http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/363893/Madeleine-McCann-cops-hunt-ex-hotel-minibus-driver-in-fresh-lead

      Delete
    3. "But the couple's chances of pocketing a big pay-out appear to be dashed after the judge gave a crushing preliminary ruling."

      Pocketing - a very pejorative word to use about Mcs and fund.
      Pocketing money is what thieves do.

      Delete
    4. Without the last two lines Textusa, which for some reason the Daily Star couldn't resist adding, I see an article almost entirely about thorns.

      I note also, that the Daily Mail has updated their article at 12:57 today. The headline now reads:

      McCanns 'set to lose £1m libel action' over claims they faked Madeleine's disappearance to cover-up her death, says police chief who made allegations in book

      The original headline said something like "Kate and Gerry McCann WERE hurt by former police chief's book missing Madeleine Judge Finds" as per the words in the URL:

      http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2925419/Kate-Gerry-McCann-hurt-former-police-chief-s-book-missing-Madeleine-judge-finds.html

      Bet that water feels cold ;-)

      Nuala x

      Delete
  37. Textual a lot of debate on the rights and wrongs of Sonia poulton doorstepping Mrs Mac seems to me that it's bringing the GMW up a gear. I know people have different opinions on it but surely nobody on the side of the WHs could fault her open letter to hateful Gamble, yet I have r e ad a whole thread of discussion on her grammer...........I am begining to understand your "WHs" category

    ReplyDelete

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