Author Topic: McCann v Gonçalo Amaral Libel Trial in Lisbon - Day 3 (4 witnesses)  (Read 9230 times)

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Offline John

Libel trial Day 3 Witness No 1

Alan Pike (Trauma Consultant) evidence.




Libel trial > McCann v Gonçalo Amaral - Day 3  Witness No 1

The session commences with a discussion on the order in which witnesses are to be heard.  The McCann family lawyer Isabel Duarte requests a modification because some witnesses reside in the UK (the last session on 13th September, was shortened due to the judge's personal problem).  Isabel Duarte had proposed written statements but defence lawyers Fatima Esteves and Santos Oliveira objected (all parties must agree). This protest has to be written down.

The judge then reminds the clerk to record the reaction by the plaintiff to the request of "exclusion of publicity" by the defender, a request the judge considered without merit.

All this took an hour because each request must comply strictly with and be recorded in accordance with Portugal’s Civil Procedure Code.

The testimony as it happened...

(19.09.2013, 10:30am) Alan Robert Pike is currently a Clinical Partner & Trauma Consultant at The Centre for Crisis Psychology (CCP), a private Company which provides psychological care for traumatised individuals. He is a Crisis Counsellor and holds an honours degree in Social Science.



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Important Notice
Readers are warned that this court Report is not a verbatim account of events but is merely a summary. 
As the content is sourced via a third party and although checks are made, the forum cannot guarantee
its veracity.  All reports are made in good faith.

« Last Edit: July 11, 2014, 12:28:05 AM by Admin »
A malicious prosecution for a crime which never existed. An exposé of egregious malfeasance by public officials.
Indeed, the truth never changes with the passage of time.

Offline John

Re: McCann v Gonçalo Amaral Libel Trial in Lisbon - Day 3 (4 witnesses)
« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2013, 06:55:56 PM »
Libel trial Day 3 Witness No 2

João Melchior Gomes evidence.

Former Deputy Attorney General


Libel Trial McCann v Gonçalo Amaral - Day 3 Witness No 2

The testimony as it happened...

(19.09.2013, 12:45 pm) João Melchior Gomes via video-conference.  He retired (November 2010) but has the title of Deputy Attorney General (AG) and is addressed as Procurador Geral Adjunto. He must nevertheless swear to tell the truth (but no bible and no gesture). He is the (only) person who effectively signed the AG Report.

– The judge asks him if he is aware of what the court is judging.
– MG responds that it is a trial against Gonçalo Amaral.

– The judge reminds him that there are three other defendants in the libel case and asks what MG's involvement in the investigation amounted to.
– MG says that in September 2007 he was charged with the task of supervising the work of the Procurador da Republica, José de Magalhães e Menezes. He was then in Evora as Deputy AG but also visited Portimão and Praia da Luz a number of times. He had two contacts with Gonçalo Amaral. The first was related to the intervention of the British cadaver dogs (Eddie and Keela) and the subsequent forensic analysis of samples. The second was through Guilhermino da Encarnação, the PJ Director in Faro, they had a meeting with the investigation team in Portimão.



Download pdf to read further...


Important Notice
Readers are warned that this court Report is not a verbatim account of events but is merely a summary. 
As the content is sourced via a third party and although checks are made, the forum cannot guarantee
its veracity.  All reports are made in good faith.
« Last Edit: July 11, 2014, 12:26:36 AM by Admin »
A malicious prosecution for a crime which never existed. An exposé of egregious malfeasance by public officials.
Indeed, the truth never changes with the passage of time.

Offline John

Re: McCann v Gonçalo Amaral Libel Trial in Lisbon - Day 3 (4 witnesses)
« Reply #2 on: September 21, 2013, 09:31:50 PM »
Libel trial Day 3 Witness No 3

Alípio Ribeiro evidence.

Former National director of the Polícia Judiciária


Libel Trial McCann v Gonçalo Amaral - Day 3 Witness No 3


The testimony as it happened...

(19.09.2013, 14:45pm) Alípio Ribeiro via video-conference.  In 2007 he was the National Director of the Polícia Judiciária (PJ). He left the PJ in May 2008, i.e. before the end of the investigation and obtained the status of Deputy AG (Procurador Geral Adjunto). He now works as a Ministry Inspector.

– The Judge, Maria Emília de Melo e Castro, asks him if he is aware of what the court is judging?
– AR says he knows through the media.

– The judge asks about his knowledge of the case?
AR says that he was aware of it, but had no part in it since that responsibility fell to the Faro PJ Director, Guilhermino da Encarnação. He says he is aware of the content of the AG Report only through the media


Download pdf to read more...


Important Notice
Readers are warned that this court Report is not a verbatim account of events but is merely a summary. 
As the content is sourced via a third party and although checks are made, the forum cannot guarantee
its veracity.  All reports are made in good faith.
« Last Edit: July 11, 2014, 12:27:00 AM by Admin »
A malicious prosecution for a crime which never existed. An exposé of egregious malfeasance by public officials.
Indeed, the truth never changes with the passage of time.

Offline John

Re: McCann v Gonçalo Amaral Libel Trial in Lisbon - Day 3 (4 witnesses)
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2013, 08:09:49 PM »
Libel trial Day 3 Witness no 4

Cláudia Nogueira evidence.

Media Consultant


The testimony as it happened...

(19.09.2013, 15 pm) Cláudia Nogueira, Managing Director of the Portuguese Public Relations and Communications Company, Plus - People Development.  From 2009 to 2011 – she was the Executive Director of the Portuguese private agency Lift Consulting, a Company engaged by the McCanns.

Her relationship with the couple was initially professional but with time it became personal. She knows Gonçalo Amaral only "publicly" (they never had personal contact).


1) McCann family lawyer, Isabel Duarte, is the first to question the witness.

ID – Why did you leave Lift Consulting?
CN answers that the media pressure was too great and that her work in support of the McCanns was very difficult. They were very worn down.

ID – In the course of your profession did you have access to statistics?
CN said she had.



Download pdf to read more...


Important Notice
Readers are warned that this court Report is not a verbatim account of events but is merely a summary. 
As the content is sourced via a third party and although checks are made, the forum cannot guarantee
its veracity.  All reports are made in good faith.
« Last Edit: July 11, 2014, 12:27:33 AM by Admin »
A malicious prosecution for a crime which never existed. An exposé of egregious malfeasance by public officials.
Indeed, the truth never changes with the passage of time.