Disqus - Latest Comments for Jose

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:42:59 -0000

John,there is a problem with your link. But I think that you are referring to the Article of Correio da Manhã of February 10.

Despir means to remove the clothes, to undress or to strip.

The title Não despiu pele de procurador means literally that Alipio Ribeiro has not remove the skin of the procurator or in other words that Alipio Ribeiro is still a procuror and not a man of the Judicial Police. What Fernando Negrão thinks is that it is necessary to have at the head of the PJ someone who has done all his career in the PJ, Alipio Ribeiro has done almost all his career in the public prosecution.

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 03:25:27 -0000

Portuguese police worried by the lack of British cooperation

In the investigation concerning the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, although the political and diplomatic pressures have played a negative role in the progress of the inquiry, it is the lack of cooperation of the Home Office that worries very much the inspectors of the Judicial Police convinced of the goodwill of their colleagues of Leicestershire.

Even though the case is very different, this is not the first time that the attitude of the Home Office has hampered the Judicial Police investigation concerning the arrest of an offender located in the British soil. This has been the case for a man from the Bangladesh - as it is revealed today in the Correio da Manhã - called by the Portuguese authorities as the murderer of the Spanish place of Lisbon. The psychopath had crossed one of the most crowded place of the Portuguese capital assaulting with a knife everyone who crossed his path after he finally jetted to London with a false passport.

Despite the lack of any apparent link between the crimes committed against strangers selected at random from the crowd and the lack of criminal background of the offender in Portugal, the inspectors of the Judicial Police were able to reconstruct the trails of the murderer. He was identified and located in London where the lack of cooperation of the Home Office has prevented his arrest and his extradition.

At the outset of the investigation, the police had only a meager description of the offender: Indian traits, a white turban and a knife in his hand.

After two years of waiting and because it was necessary that the man leaved the British territory, the murderer has been relocated, this time in the south of Europe, where the Judicial Police must once again rely on the international cooperation to arrest the man.

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 09:36:35 -0000

Divers search for Madeleine's body in remote reservoir after underworld tip-off
Teams of frogmen began scouring the remote Barragem do Arade amid claims the girl's body was dumped there last May.

The private search - funded by a Portuguese lawyer - came as Portugal's most senior detective admitted that police had rushed into making Kate and Gerry McCann suspects in the case.

Divers have been searching the Barragem do Arade in Portugal for several days after an underworld tip-off that Madeleine's body was dumped there days after she disappeared

(...)

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 08:32:27 -0000

McCanns WILL remain suspects

KATE and Gerry McCann’s hopes of clearing their names were crushed today after it emerged they are set to remain official suspects over their daughter’s disappearance.

The couple had expected to have their arguido status lifted after police chief Alipio Ribeiro admitted at the weekend detectives bungled by rushing to blame them.

But government legal advisors last night ruled out any intervention.

A source at Portugal’s Attorney General’s Office told Portuguese daily 24 horas: “We will be saying nothing officially about Mr Ribeiro’s comments.

“The fate of Madeleine’s parents will be reassessed at the appropriate moment.”

Last night the McCanns were facing up to the nightmare of having to wait until the end of the investigation into their daughter’s disappearance before they learn if they will have to stand trial.

Portugal’s Public Prosecution Service can remove someone’s arguido status before a criminal probe reaches its end - but it is extremely rare.

Police have yet to quiz members of the so-called Tapas Nine - the friends who were eating tapas with the McCanns on May 3 when Madeleine disappeared.

Reports last month suggested the couple may not learn of their fate until September after public prosecutors were granted an extension to keep police files secret.

The new blow for the McCanns coincided with calls by one of Portugal’s most senior public prosecutors for Mr Ribeiro to refrain from public comments about the case.

The police chief said in an interview on Portuguese radio yesterday that he thought the McCanns had been named official suspects too hastily and without a proper evaluation.

The couple’s spokesman Clarence Mitchell called on prosecutors to lift their arguido status after his comments.

Antonio Cluny, president of Portugal’s District Attorneys and Magistrates Council, urged Mr Ribeiro to show “restraint and reserve.”

He added: “This idea that authority representatives comment about ongoing judicial proceedings is becoming a very dangerous habit.”

Meanwhile Madeleine's grandfather today said he was clinging to hopes for a miracle that his granddaughter will be found alive.

Commenting on news that divers are searching a reservoir in Silves, 40 miles from where the four-year-old vanished in Praia da Luz, Mr Healey said: “Like most people I would like to think if there is a spark of hope I have to hang on to it.

“They haven’t found anything yet.

"We have to believe a miracle can happen.

“I still believe she is alive and until someone tells me different I will believe.”

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 02:41:56 -0000

According to the Correio da Manhã, the suspicions against the McCanns are maintained concerning their involvement in the death and disposal of the body of their daughter Madeleine McCann.
A source close to Alipio Ribeiro says that his statements are going in the sense that if Kate and Gerry were maintained as witnesses "may be they would not return so quickly to England. And they would be more cooperative with the justice".

The Portuguese Police is unsuccessfully trying to interrogate the McCanns and their friends through the letters of appeal and according to the Correio da Manhã there are still in Portugal!
Having made the McCanns arguidos, has render almost impossible to perform the new interviews not only to the McCanns but also to their friends.

The question is if the McCanns were maintained as simple witnesses in the case as they should be in the light of the new Penal Procedure Code, would they cooperate with the Justice'?

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 10:46:09 -0000

I think that the status could only be lifted in April 14 or in September according to the interpretation of the secrecy deadline because there are still inquiries to perform in UK. But since the UK government refused to cooperate through Eurojust, It's also possible that the 3 arguidos will remain with their status even after the end of the secrecy deadline.

The best solution for the McCanns in my opinion is that they decide to return to Portugal with all their friends to boost the investigation.

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 08:14:00 -0000

The Portuguese lawyers of the McCanns will officially request to the Ministerio Publico (Public Prosecution) to lift the arguido status of their clients.

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 04:42:27 -0000

The full transcript is avalaible on the online edition of the publico page 8 and 9
http://jornal.publico.clix.pt/

It's not Alipio Ribeiro who said that it was a bad tactic but a judicial source contacted by Duarte Levy.

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 15:25:17 -0000

The relation of the McCanns and the press is a real disgrace. Their relation with the PJ is also a real disgrace. The statements of Alipio Ribeiro are so vague that several interpretations are possible. Clarence said the Portuguese Police has no case against them, they never have. This is spin and this is a disgrace. The PJ said according to SoSMaddie that it's a fight of David against Goliath. The best tactic should have been to follow the inquiry without making known that the McCanns were arguidos. This was a decision of the lawyer of the McCanns Carlos Pinto de Abreu since he decided to make an interview in September after the questioning of Gerrald McCann where he said that they were arguidos.

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 15:16:44 -0000

gisgraceful? you mean disgraceful?

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 13:31:59 -0000

I have listen Clarence Mitchell speaking about the statements of Alipio Ribeiro. Clarence Mitchell said about these statements: "we havent heard it ourselves" and he asked that the McCanns should be cleared at once. I am afraid, Clarence Mitchell, the statements of Alipio Ribeiro are already online:
mms://streamingmedia.rr.pt/...
.

There is absolutely nothing that suggests that the PJ will lift the arguido status of the McCanns because PJ detectives made the McCanns arguidos too hastily.

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 02:57:03 -0000

New suspects, McCanns not suspected anymore, New Find Madeleine website: will the donations increase?

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 02:28:49 -0000

Thank you PDG for the link, I am listening it. It sounds to me that it's a Spin conference rather than a serious conference about the subject where emotion and feelings are used to feed the abduction theory.

There is an interesting article about this conference:
This is more than a case of ‘media Maddieness’.

BTW, the rogatory letters are going to UK today according to the 24Horas.

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 05:23:22 -0000

The British government has refused to accept any letter of appeal through Eurojust, it should be sent through usual diplomatic channels, reports the 24Horas quoting José Lopes da Mota, the president of Eurojust and national member for Portugal.

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 04:51:05 -0000

I am not surprised by the decision of the British government. I am convinced that a reform of the European judicial system regarding the mutual assistance is an absolute necessity. Criminal Judicial matters should be handled at the European level without any political interference. At this moment this is not the case and furthermore there is no legal obligation for a Member State to perform the letters of appeal.

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 04:15:54 -0000

Yes it was a problem of translation of Ojala: that could mean good willing or who knows. Nevertheless Metodo3 always said that they knew where Madeleine was, they knew that she was abducted and they knew that she was alive. Well, did Clarence Mitchell explain us why Metodo 3 did no bring Madeleine home if they knew all that?

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:29:12 -0000

Thank you very much pinkdrummergirl for your report. You have done an excellent job.

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:59:02 -0000

I have to say that I still don't understand why the McCanns are suggesting that Robert Murat is involved in a pedophile gang. I think that they are not respecting the presumption of innocence of Robert Murat.

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:41:26 -0000

According to the SOL, the letters of appeal will be re-dispatched to UK although there were already delivered through Eurojust.

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 13:11:48 -0000

MCCANNS WARN OVER LIBEL ACTION
This is Leicestershire 10:30 - 30 January 2008

Madeleine McCann's parents have not ruled out suing newspapers and websites that they believe have libelled them.

Kate and Gerry McCann have stopped reading the "tittle-tattle" written about them in the press - but their representatives are keeping an eye on any "rubbish" printed in the press they believe to be defamatory.

Family spokesman Clarence Mitchell told the Leicester Mercury that the McCanns, of Rothley, had more important things to worry about as they continue the search for the missing four-year-old.

However, he said under libel laws they still had up to three years to bring potential cases before the civil courts.

Mr Mitchell spoke after Portuguese police questioned a builder fitting sketches of a potential suspect which were released by the family.

The builder - the fourth man to be interviewed since the sketches were issued on January 20 - was eliminated as a suspect when it emerged he had an alibi for the night Madeleine disappeared.

Madeleine, who was three at the time, disappeared from a Portuguese holiday complex at Praia da Luz on May 3, last year.

Some reports have said the Portuguese police were unhappy about the family issuing the sketches independently, suggesting they could be a diversion to take suspicion away from the family.

Today, Mr Mitchell said: "I'm afraid we dismiss this criticism out of hand.

"There are one or two voices in Portugal who say things which get picked up by the press and magnified. Anyone who says we are doing diversionary tactics is wrong.

"We have made it very clear that publications in Britain and Portugal are subject to the laws of libel and defamation, like everyone else, and our lawyers are watching all of this.

"We reserve the right to take legal action and have three years in which to do it."

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:17:00 -0000

I listened this morning a french radio program on France Culture. M. Cintra Torres said that Clarence Mitchell knew the McCanns before the disappearance of Madeleine. And there is another guy who said that he has seen on Sky News at 6 am, May 4, that a British girl was missing. I thought that it was GMTV who was the first TV to give the information May 4.

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 02:47:50 -0000

What I see is that there is a lot of confusion about those letters. Yesterday there were in UK. Today in Portugal. Tomorrow in UK again, may be?
It would be better if all the witnesses agree to come back to Portugal like Mrs Cooper did to help the PJ so the McCanns could clear their names and then they could make their movie about Madeleine to finance these Spanish detectives, Metodo 3 that according to Clarence Mitchell are now doing an excellent job.

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:44:08 -0000

The Correio da Manhã reports that the letters of appeal are still in Lisbon at the office of the General Attorney. Eurojust helped the Portuguese authorities in the redaction of the letters rogatory.

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 09:50:10 -0000

New witness but nothing to believe that Maddie is in Argentina

A new witness Javier Vidable ensures to have seen Madeleine McCann last January 23 in the town of Villa Union in Argentina. The child was accompanied by two adults described as "very nervous".

The Police spokesman in La Rioja (Argentina) contacted by SOS Madeleine has confirmed the existence of the testimony which has been done to the police three days after the witness pretends to have seen the child, adding that the interviews performed to other people present in the hotel leads to believe that it was an older child who vaguely looks like Madeleine.

Last week, another witness also ensured to have seen Madeleine in a museum in the town of Vicuña, Chile, where the police did identify the girl removing all doubts.

This is the second time that the most searched child is reported to have been seen in Argentina. Since the night of her disappearance, Madeleine has been reported in a growing number of countries: Portugal (where she disappeared last May 3), Spain, France, Switzerland, Morocco, Malta, Bosnia, Greece, Belgium among others.

Re: A New Open Thread For Madeleine McCann: Six Months Later

Jose — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 08:29:05 -0000

The three arguidos are back.