Post for Comments

As the Red Card post is about to overcome the 200 comments, we are publishing this so that our readers can continue to publish their comments.

We are keeping Nigel Nessling on the front cover of the blog.

Red card

(with thanks to Michael Shaw)

1. Introduction

This week, once more we see ourselves with the need to ‘procrastinate’ the analysis of the NPIA Operation Task debrief document which we published 2 weeks ago.

Last week it was because of the demise of the Woman-in-Purple, a fact that we deemed of the utmost importance to the case.

Scratching her from this sick play makes the Maddie case come down to only one of 2 possible outcomes: truth or shambolic archival.

RIP WIP

1. Introduction

Last week we left for analysis and consideration a debrief about Operation Task, which was, if we are to believe that document, a Gold police operation set-up to handle the Maddie Case.

We published the debrief without comment to allow our readers to form their own opinion about it.

In the comment we have said that “this report [is] not only interesting but also one very important document to be understood in both its intent and meaning”.

So, it was our intent to write this week about it.

However, we think it’s more opportune at this point in time to register here what we consider to have been a very relevant event in the Maddie case: the demise of the Woman-in-Purple (WIP)

Operation Task

Page 1/42

Now that things are being played at the highest political level, we will sit and watch.

Meanwhile we will leave for the consideration and analysis of our readers, a 2009 document about UK’s involvement in Operation Task or what we call the Maddie case.

Please click on the pictures to read them.

Fat-shaming

Image from  here, used as said

1. Introduction

The biggest challenge to this week’s post was to come up with a title.

First, let’s just say that we were finally going to start our Praia da Luz posts but we were pushed by events and had to delay that once again. Our apologies. Just hoping that when we do get to do them, time won’t make memory more diffuse than it should.

It wasn’t watching Michael Fallon fall that caused that delay as in that we saw nothing surprising. As we said last week we was simply a distracting victim, an attention magnet.

Sex-shaming

1. Introduction

During my college years, I had one professor who said the words that have guided me throughout life: “all is linked to all”.

Short, precise, concise but filled with… all.

Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has triggered, and rightfully so and about time, a focus without precedent of sexual harassment by powerful men.

Other well-known people have been exposed both as assaulters and as enablers through their silence of harassment occurrences they knew to exist.

New name and (NOT) an anniversary

1. Introduction

Last week we were going to speak about something but then decided not to.

After all, only 3 days would have passed regarding what we wanted to highlight and we thought it best to let another week pass to see if it was really happening or not.

And, a week later we have confirmed that it had indeed happened.

Invoking the ridiculous

1. Introduction

The image, posted by a common citizen on his/her personal Facebook page says the following:

“The minister has resigned… the rain put out the fires… Tanco’s armament showed up…

This, by tonight Maddie will appear.”

Sócrates

This week we were not going to post but as we have been asked more than once how much does the accusation made against José Socrates by the Public Ministry will have in the Maddie case.

Straight away we will say that it will have little. But even if little it may have some.

The game has only one name and that is Theresa May.

The Prime-Minister many said a coughing fit in a speech had put an end to her career once and for all. A week has passed and it must be said she does seem to have very strong fingertips.

We do think the fact Socrates has been accused by the Public Ministry of 31 crimes (3 charges of passive corruption of holder of a political position, 16 charges of money laundering, 3 charges of falsification of documents and 3 charges of premeditated tax fraud) may have some implications for the Maddie case.

Not decisive, just politically embarrassing for the UK in case it decides for archival in the Maddie case. 

The botched magician

(Image from here)

1. Introduction

The game seems to have picked up tempo.

And there were strong signs of chaos coming from the other side.

It was like watching a failed magician trying desperately to save his career by jumping on the stage begging for applause after hastily and wildly throwing all the tricks he had near him at that moment into his hat, coat and trousers and performed without minimal rehearsal or idea of what to do.

All he knew was he had to do something and he did. Something, whatever and he just did whatever.

The game continues

1. Introduction

Now that the Maddie case has escaped a planned death and is to continue we thought this week to do a very short post.

We will just say a few words - so unlike us! - about Operation Grange and then help it get on along by simply publishing a tweet and a comment.

Gamble v May

1. Introduction

We said that we would wait to see if Theresa May would or not satisfy the request from SY to continue funding Operation Grange for the next semester of the current fiscal year.

However there’s something about Richard Bilton’s BBC programme that we think should be brought to public attention.

As we said in our previous post “Summer Games” we think this programme was part of an agreement between Theresa May and the people that we have called here from the “other side”.

We have called them that because we think in the Maddie case they are on the other side of the Tory government’s intent since Operation Grange was launched.

Summer games

(picture from here)

1. Introduction

This Summer has been long. And eventful.

During it, it took us a while to understand the state of the game but once we thought we did we opted for silence.

We think this year was the first one we did not interrupt our Summer Break.

In terms of the game – it really sickens us to call it that but unfortunately in reality that is what it has become – things are really heating up.

Break

No picture today.

We're not even calling it Summer break this year.

Our deepest sympathy and compassion to the Grenfell victims, their families and friends.

Our heartfelt gratefulness to all those, in uniform or without it, who so selflessly came as soon as they could and did all they possibly could do.

Nameless heroes are always the bravest ones.

As for us, we'll return when we feel we should.

BBC Panorama II

1. Introduction

When we last left our whistleblower reporter, or should we call him our spy-reporter, “the name is Bilton, Richard Bilton, I like to serve my twaddle shaken, not stirred”, he had just devalued the signals by the cadaver dog over the blood that had been found in the apartment 5A.

BBC Panorama I

1. Introduction

When I was young, while living in Portugal, going to the movies, or to the cinema as it was called then, was a big social event for us toddlers.

Then the age limits to be able to see a movie were strictly enforced. I remember that the movies were classified into the following categories: for all, over 6, over 12, over 16 and over 18.

My earliest cinema memories are from when I was between 6 and 12.

When we walked into the theatre the curtains would be open showing an enormous cloth panel, on which publicity was printed just like an enormous newspaper page filled with small adverts.

New knight in town

1. Introduction

“A man [or anybody for that matter] is known by the company he keeps” – Aesop

We have waited to see who Ian Horrocks was associated with before giving an opinion on his latest opining about what happened to Maddie in a post called exactly “What happened to Madeleine McCann?” on a website called BGP-Global services.

If dung was truffles, Horrocks’ production would be auctioned at Sothebys for an absurd amount of money such would be the competition to get the hands on such a rare, exquisite and refined piece of crap.

Woman-in-Purple

1. Introduction

One of our blog readers in Nov 2013 aptly defined Praia da Luz as the VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED, due to the many negative peculiarities that have been attributed to this village because of the Maddie affair – the latest being a nanny saying that it was also a rape-haven location – it has, or so it seems to have, a very positive peculiarity related to the case: the elderly who live there, their memory improves with time.

But only the elderly.

Why?

(pictures from the Sun)

Do not ask why the stone has fallen to the ground

But rather why it is that on it is nowhere to be found

Nor ask why this journey of thousands or even millions of miles

Over mountains so high they say they can touch the moon and she smiles

Sailing, they say, rivers of lava and seas with waves of rock and foam of steel

One huge tale weaved by so many tales told by liars of thieves who forget to steal

But do ask why such a short journey needed deceit of its distance in tireless try

And why do they think we will ever believe that pigs and elephants crisscross the sky



The ground did not move that night and all know the stone on it fell

Together they gathered and swore that it was a breeze that whooshed it far and long

Cowards who today sing the tale of the missing stone will one day be ashamed to tell

That the bedtime story they have told their children for a decade they knew it so wrong

As we all know they know where the stone fell and why it hasn’t been found as well

Battle of the Titans

(image from here)

 
1. Introduction

The Portuguese have this belief, to them much more than a saying, that it’s bad luck to celebrate an anniversary early. It brings bad luck.

We have been commemorating Maddie’s 10th anniversary since February, when we were informed that many, many TVs were willing to pay a lot of money to have the privilege of being them to host the celebrity couple on that occasion.

And this past fortnight the commemoration really scaled up as it seemed they have brought in the fireworks in the form of a media storm such was the bombardment about Maddie.

It culminated with two spectacular fireworks: the Australian Special by Rahni Sadler and a public update by the Met, by AC Mark Rowley.

New Post (Cont.)

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Thank you.

New post

New post just because previous post reached over 200 comments, so please we ask readers to start commenting here.

Thank you for understanding.

UPDATE

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Oh no, not HIM!

We would like to inform our readers that this post has, fortunately, surpassed 200 comments. To read the newer ones,please click on the “Load more” link at the end of the comments that appear.

Please continue commenting in our post “New post”.

Thank you.

1. Introduction

Immediate heads-up – the title of this post has a twist, it’s not exactly what readers will probably think it is about, in fact it may be far from it.

This has been an extremely positive first three months of the year, with the other side suffering 3 major blows: the Portuguese Supreme Justice Court writing that the McCanns had never been cleared, the government saying they have a key-witness – worth a further £85,000 for Operation Grange and so binning the vague European Human trafficking gang and the Portuguese Supreme Justice Court deciding in a record time to reject the complaint from the McCanns.

And now, this week we had a gem from the other side, one reeking with despair, so much so that if sweat were carats, this diamond would be put the Koh-I-Noor to shame.

The 3rd BIG surprise

1. Introduction

The other side was again stunned.

2017 is certainly NOT their year. We’re still in the 3rd month and they already have their third extremely unpleasant surprise.

The McCanns have LOST

“Textusa 21 Mar 2017, 17:25:00

http://www.stj.pt/ficheiros/tabelas/Decididas/Civeis/1s-2017-03-21.pdf

Mr Amaral has won

YESSSSSS”


“Indeferido” means rejected.

Now, we are curious as to what the reaction on the British media will be. Any bets?

Extreme backfiring

1. Introduction

Quoting ourselves on our last post “The McCann Trial”:

“To sum up a very long post, it [the complaint] was to have the McCanns continue to be perceived as being declared innocent by the Portuguese when government has to decide about granting or not Operation Grange further funds for the next fiscal year.”

And we learned this week that the UK government has granted Operation Grange further funding for the next 6 months.

Or, in practical terms, that it won’t take any action on the case until the complaint has been decided by the Portuguese Supreme Justice Court.

Birdwatching

As there was no relevant activity in the Maddie case this week, we resume our birdwatching activity.

Watching eagles fly and ostriches run. Or in the Maddie case watching people wanting other people to believe that ostriches fly and eagles run.

When we feel we are to return we will.

The McCann trial

1. Introduction

Looking at the picture above, the man with a beard in the centre is holding a pitchfork. The woman a torch and the man behind an axe.  We are trying to be helpful. To let people know which is which.

People may not be aware but the McCann trial in Britain has begun and is taking place and from what we have witnessed, we think it’s best clarify what objects are involved in a lynching mob as we certainly don’t want to see people looking silly trying, for example, to light up a pitchfork.

The complaint

(Pic from here)

1. Introduction

On Saturday, Feb 18, we were surprised by Correio da Manhã, informing us all that the McCann legal team was requesting, or had requested the annulment of the ruling (acórdão) of the Supreme Justice Court because it considered it frivolous (leviano) “because it was not possible for the Public Prosecutor to obtain sufficient evidence of crimes by the appellants”.

We, like everyone else, were caught by surprise. The surprise being that we, like everyone else, thought the Supreme Justice Court ruling of Jan 31 2017, had put an end, once and for all, to all legal business of the McCann v Amaral trial as we said in our post “Square One”.

We even said that “this is the first time hearing of a Supreme Justice Court being contested”, that’s how surprised we were.

Counter-Attack

1. Facts

Daily Mail Alternative Fact: “These allegations were aired during the 2015 libel case in Portugal and it is important to point out that the blood traces were never identified as human”

FACT: It was considered proven by the 3 Portuguese courts, 1st Instance, Appeal and Supreme Justice that: “6. The dogs Eddie and Keela, from the British police, have detected human blood and cadaver scent in the apartment 5A of the Ocean Club.”

Daily Mail Alternative Fact: “As for the Irish couple Amaral cites, the man [Martin Smith] who was in his 70s admitted he was not wearing his glasses at the time”.

FACT: Martin Smith never of himself not wearing glasses. He twice makes a reference to glasses, when he states that the man he sees carrying the little girl is not wearing a pair and then of when he had seen Murat previously and he remembers that Robert Murat was not wearing glasses when he saw him that time.

Game changer

1. Introduction

Over 2 years ago, back in January 2015 we said in our post “To haste or not to haste” that “the McCann ship as of Wednesday is beyond repair. It took a fatal blow to its hull” and concluded that post with “the McCann ship is beyond repair. Impossible to recover. Impossible to whitewash”.

All this because on that Wednesday January 21 2015, the 1st Instance Court let us all know what it considered were the proven and the not proven facts of the case.

McCanns NOT cleared

The sentence of the Supreme Justice Court of the McCann v Amaral Lisbon Trial has today been published on Projecto Justiça Gonçalo Amaral (PGJA) here.

We are waiting for the translation of the document that is being done there, which we here would like to immediately show our gratitude for.

Square One

 1. Introduction

Those who read us know that we’re rarely, if ever, optimistic. That doesn’t make us pessimistic. We like to have as a motto for our attitude to preclude the worst, hope for the best and prepare for the likely.

In the case of the Lisbon trial, the likely was the best. So we were prepared for it.

Mr Amaral has WON!!!

Justice has prevailed. Mr Amaral has WON!!!

http://www.stj.pt/ficheiros/tabelas/Decididas/Civeis/1s-2017-01-31.pdf

Games

 1. Introduction

This post was going to be called “Corrugated Iron”. Instead we opted to call it “Games” because that is what we are witnessing being played in the Ben Needham case.

We repeat that this blog is about Maddie McCann and not about Ben Needham.

We have written about him whenever we consider it to be relevant to the Maddie case.

Ben deserves a separate blog.

We share our conclusions about his case privately and they are what makes us say that we believe that the official outcome in Ben’s case will have a direct impact in the official outcome in the Maddie one.