Playing Games

In 2007, by May 15th there had already been some “sightings” of Madeleine; Jane Tanner's abductor man carrying a child and CCTV pictures of a blonde girl with a woman at a petrol station shop. The latter is dismissed by Kate in her book. The girl wasn't Madeleine.
Then we have the sightings of Pimpleman, subject of the Mockumentary, and Vanman/Guitarman seen by Gerry McCann and implied by Derek Flack to have been near Apartment 5A in both their statements to the PJ.

The PJ intercepted phone calls on May 15th, between the Murat family and Martin Brunt, the reporter with Sky News. By this time, Robert Murat had been referred to as an arguido by Sky News. Jennifer Murat answers the phone by saying “Hi dear” in response to Martin Brunt, suggesting some previous contact between them. Brunt then speaks to Robert Murat and they discuss contact with an unnamed English Sky lawyer. They say they do not know him, where he came from or what his credibility is, but it is difficult to tell, without hearing the intonation and inflection of the actual call, whether they were stating facts or suggesting this is what they thought they should say. It seems they are setting up the context of an interview they are planning?
Brunt then says:
“And they told us that the police were going to play games with false leads and that was why. And who knows whether he is who he says he is.”
Who they and the police refers to is unclear.
Can we assume it is not the Portuguese police, who seemed to be concentrating their efforts on the T9 and Robert Murat and do not appear to be convinced by Jane Tanner's sighting? The characters in the Mockumentary were also accounted for very quickly.

Only Martin Brunt and Robert Murat can explain the meaning of this exchange, as Robert Murat's response to this astonishing statement by Martin Brunt is:
“ That's right. OK.”

Post Scriptum: The post above was written based on the following translations of the PJ Files:

Report of Telephone Interceptions 

Call made on 15-05-2007
Transcribed on 27th May at Portimao PJ station. 

JM - Jennifer Murat 
MB - Martin Brunt
RM - Robert Murat

JM: Hello. Residence of JM. 
MB: Hello, Martin Brunt speaking. 
JM: Hi dear. 
MB: Hi, is everything all-right? 
JM: Yes, Robert is a little depressed now.
MB: I’m sure he is..
JM: It was not very nice of Sky News to refer to him as arguido, don't you think?
MB: Hmmm, I didn’t see that. I was up at our house. What are they saying with regard to that?
JM: Robert Murat has been made an arguido in the case of Madeleine McCann.
MB: What does the term arguido mean in Portuguese?
JM: What does arguido mean, Robert?
RM: Suspect.
JM: Suspect.
MB: Ok , well, I'm not completely familiar with legal Portuguese terms. I think that someone said.....that the police said they were treating Robert as an arguido.
JM: Robert, as an arguido?
MB: What I mean is, what is that...
JM: I'm going to pass you to Robert. Don't hang up Martin.
MB: Ok thanks.
RM: Hello Martin.
MB: Hello Robert.
RM: Your number didn’t show up, that’s why I didn't know who it was...
MB: Oh my, I didn't send you my number...
RM: That’s OK.
MB: Well, I will see if I manage not to lose this one, if I can find the tool (laughs).
RM: (Inaudible).
MB: Ok we will try, I mean I have not seen it yet...But we will try to expl...The police say or was it the local journalists who say you should be treated as an arguido.
RM: That he is a suspect, basically..
MB: Yes, well, even so...given the tone of the interrogation..
RM: Hmmm.
MB: And the fact of being free which says a lot about the interest in you, eh..
RM: That is the same as finishing me off...It was not me...I didn’t do anything..and now I am literally...
MB: Ok, I know, I think...
RM: It always on when I turn the TV on and even now...
MB: Yes...well it would be better to turn it off..
RM: Really. To have been quiet was the best thing I could have done.
MB: Yes.
RM: But when I turn the television on I think , eh...They are going to finish me off completely, they are finishing me off...
MB: Ok, ok I'm going to tell you that...
RM: In order to have an idea..
MB: I’ll tell you what we are going to do.
RM: Did you talk to the lawyer?
MB: Two things! We talked to the Sky Lawyer...
RM: Right.
MB: Who is of the opinion that according to what you signed you reported your work as being that of a translator.
RM: Certainly, as far as... the thing is that is was...Let me ..eh...it probably is ...oh!...
MB: Go on, continue...
RM: We talked, we talked to a Sky lawyer, but the problem with the Sky lawyer is that he is English!
MB: Yes...No, no, no... he is or lawyer.
RM: Hmmm.
MB: And can you see, he said what it seemed to be to him...
RM: Hmmm?
MB: according to his understanding.
RM: According to his understanding, exactly...
MB: And now we are reluctant to talk to the lawyer who contacted you.
RM: That right. OK.
MB: We do not know him.
RM: OK.
MB: And you do not know him, well you don’t?
RM: Exactly, that’s right. I do not know him, mate.
MB: And we do not know where he came from or what his credibility is.
RM: Yes.
MB: And they told us that the police were going to play games with false leads and that was why. And who knows whether he is who he says he is?
RM: That’s right. OK.
MB: And he could be trying to test you out or hoping that we pass him some information.
RM: Certainly.
MB: Eh...we know that you suspect that your calls are being listened to, because of this...
RM: Humm, hmmm.
MB: Right? Because of this reason we are very reluctant because we do not know him and you do not know him.
RM: But however...I mean the best option you have to come clean with this, would probably be to go with a lawyer from Lisbon. Eh... somebody...with someone from up there. Not from the Algarve. It would have to be someone from Lisbon. Is that OK?
MB: That’s ok, I will try to arrange for someone from there...but..
RM: OK!
MB: But our position in relation to all this, for the moment, as I explained previously, is that we consider ourselves to be very important ? and I think it was your opinion initially? to do something finally that would manage to be on your side...
RM: Yes and that would not lead to my being detained immediately!
MB: Of course, of course! And you know, many of the things that you told me were not attributed to me...I understand and I don’t want to enter into all those details and we did not do anything since I left you...
RM: No, no, no, no...
MB: I am sure that you understand.
RM: Yes, yes! Yes.
MB: And if there is anything that better clarifies, that you think you could say, that could also be used in the future.
RM: Of course.
MB: You know, you could quote Sky sources and others..
RM: Yes that would be perfect. That would be just perfect!
MB: But I think it is important that you should have the media there and if we could appear, briefly, and make statements in these terms: “I was questioned, it was a vague questioning, I was not asked direct questions about Madeleine” and afterwards you explain to me how you felt that they made you a scapegoat, that you have nothing to hide, even if your computer is analysed. And that at the end of the day you will be absolved and they will find the true abductor/kidnapper.
RM: We could.. you could.. Lets first look at this with a Portuguese lawyer, we will won't we?
MB: Yes...No...
RM: Are you going to do this?
MB: I will do my best to arrange for one now...
RM: Yes.
MB: But, but ...independently of what the lawyer thinks, I think that this is the clearest option. But we will have to try to find someone who.....
RM: Yes, I think this is the simplest. Can you confirm this. I am here having a family discussion to see what they think...
MB: Ah yes. Of course I will. But I am talking about making very clear statements.
RM: Yes, ok!
MB: That they do not enter into many details but into the way you can get your message across.
RM: Get it across..OK:
MB: That you give your version of the events, given that the only version of events is vague and...
RM: Yes, yes.
MB: And that the two local journalists and everyone are very against you...and that there is nobody with the exception of my interview with Sally...
RM: Yes?
MB: There has nobody who has spoken in favour of Robert Murat because of this...
RM: In fact of the many interviews given I have heard that there were some positive ones...people contradicting each other...
MB: Yes?
RM: They arrived and said....no, no...they have been very positive about this...
MB: Of course. people from the area...
RM: People from here..Exactly, exactly...
MB: Inaudible
RM : exactly
MB: Who know what happened...
RM: Many people from the area said very positive things about this...about me, which is useful.
MB: Of course, well I will see what I can find and get back in touch with you.
RM: OK, Bye.
MB: And if we agree on this..
RM: Yes..
MB: And if we could agree to appear for 15 minutes..
RM: I never have any problem with making a statement..
MB: OK
RM: I have no problem whilst...Whilst I have the legal cover to do so. Because I don’t want to end up in prison....(sigh)
MB: That would be the last thing we want...
RM: Firstly, for something I did not do and secondly for something that would break their contract rules...
MB: I understand that and I understand the sensitive nature of everything that we have been working with since we arrived here, so...
RM: Ok..
MB: Can I phone you again in half an hour?
RM: Good bye, thank you very much.
MB: Good bye.


Transcription of Telephone Interception Call date: 15.05.2007

On 26th May 2007 in the Portimao PJ installations the telephone registers were listened to and interpreted into Portuguese.


MB: Is Robert there?
JM: This is me..Jenny:
MB: This is Martin Brunt, Jenny.
JM: Yes.
MB: I thought it was better to send you my number when I call so that you know its me.
JM: Yes.
MB: Um...look...I just...I just wanted to know whether Robert has contacted his lawyer friend.
JM. At the moment, not yet because he is talking on the phone to his sister.
MB: OK.
JM: He spoke ..he also spoke to Leicester police who are with his sister at the moment.
MB: Right, right, ah...Ok...There's just one thing I would like to tell him about ...his worries about talking (inaudible) to the McCann family (inaudible).
JM: I am letting him listen, I am letting him listen.
MB: I would just like to explain one thing to him and...
JM: Ok.
MB: And could help him...to arrive.
JM: Robert, its Mar ..Martin he has some news for you (speaks to a third person) Wait a minute, I (inaudible).
MB: That’s OK.
RM: Hello mate.
MB: Hi, just very quickly, this could be an important question.
RM. OK.
MB: Ahhm...The idea that nobody involved should talk .... the McCann family have talked regularly and they are key witnesses in this investigation.
RM: That is not a good question, sorry, its a good question but they are not ready to detain them are they?
MB: They can’t...
RM: They are not prepared to detain them especially with the public pressure, so no..
MB: Well, no, no, no..but, but....I only think, a lawyer drew my attention to (inaudible) nobody...
RM: No, that’s good, that’s very good, in fact there are still no (inaudible) in the statements because I was on the phone, OK?
MB: That’s right.
RM: But the truth is I have found some very good information, I hope it will be very good, unhappily out of sight, I really did make a phone call from (to?) her at eight fifteen at night.
MB: OK.
RM: And I made another call at eleven fifty three at night so, from the home telephone and to a number that only I would ring, it’s not a number my mother would dial.
MB: OK
RM: Hmm, however, this could begin to be positive, but now I'm trying to find out whether my Dawn, I've just spoken to Dawn, ahhm...to see if she could, ahhmm...ask for the telephone records in the UK.
MB: OK
RM: And see if she calls me later tonight.
MB: Right.
RM: However I am not certain of how well this will turn out but if she could do this for me that would be great, I mean (inaudible) if, if they could prove that I was here from eight fifteen...
MB: Yes.
RM: And that I did not leave, in the sense that my calls did not leave..
MB: Yes.
RM: You know...this is quite good (inaudible)..
MB: Yes, you know, I think this is quite important and...I think... I think this could be quite useful.
RM: Yes, yes.
MB: Yes and I mean..you should make clear...to prove where you were...I mean (inaudible) you should not have to prove anything.
RM: Well, that..that, that is true, but the way things are going, with all the strange things that are happening...
MB: Yes.
RM: I..I...I am going to do something to try, you know, to show that I ...was where i was, end of story.
MB: Yes.
RM: No, I do not see this, yes,,but if it were ..I am just going to stop this and afterwards I am going to do what I planned to do...em and then I will contact you.
MB: OK, fine.
RM: OK? Thanks.
MB: Thats OK.
RM. Many thanks, be well. Bye
MB: Bye