Sunday Times claim that Smith e-fits had been suppressed for 5 years.

[John]

The Sunday Times made a compete dogs bollocks of what was really a valid story.  The mistake they made was to claim that the McCann's withheld the e-fits created by Halligen and Oakley International from the police for five years. We know now thanks to Halligen that the e-fits were created in 2008 shortly after he took over from Método3 as the McCann's private investigator. We know that the e-fits along with a report was submitted to the McCanns through the Madeleine Fund in November 2008 but no further action was taken.  The report was critical of the McCanns and the inconsistencies in their statements.  The e-fits bore a passing resemblance to Gerry McCann so it was determined not to publish them since this in itself could reignite press speculation and would be distracting to the campaign to find Madeleine.  It wasn't for another year that the e-fits found their way to Leicestershire Police and the PJ in Portugal.  Again, nothing was done about them and they were filed away under lock and key.  It wasn't for another two years that Scotland Yard got wind of the e-fits and the controversial report which accompanied them.  In the end, Scotland Yard decided that the e-fits were significant and so some five years after they had been produced they were eventually published using the BBC Crimewatch programme.

So in the end it was clear, the Smith e-fits were withheld from the public for five long years.  The unanswered question is WHY?

[Alice Purjorick]

The Sunday Times made a compete dogs bollocks of what was really a valid story.  The mistake they made was to claim that the McCann's withheld the e-fits created by Halligen and Oakley International from the police for five years. We know now thanks to Halligen that the e-fits were created in 2008 shortly after he took over from Método3 as the McCann's private investigator. We know that the e-fits along with a report was submitted to the McCanns through the Madeleine Fund in November 2008 but no further action was taken.  The report was critical of the McCanns and the inconsistencies in their statements.  The e-fits bore a passing resemblance to Gerry McCann so it was determined not to publish them since this in itself could reignite press speculation and would be distracting to the campaign to find Madeleine.  It wasn't for another year that the e-fits found their way to Leicestershire Police and the PJ in Portugal.  Again, nothing was done about them and they were filed away under lock and key.  It wasn't for another two years that Scotland Yard got wind of the e-fits and the controversial report which accompanied them.  In the end, Scotland Yard decided that the e-fits were significant and so some five years after they had been produced they were eventually published using the BBC Crimewatch programme.

So in the end it was clear, the Smith e-fits were withheld from the public for five long years.  The unanswered question is WHY?

"a spokesperson told the Sunday Times that the report would have been a distraction"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Madeleine_McCann#Oakley

[misty]

"a spokesperson told the Sunday Times that the report would have been a distraction"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Madeleine_McCann#Oakley

It would have been a distraction as it discredited Jane Tanner & her sighting.

[slartibartfast]

It would have been a distraction as it discredited Jane Tanner & her sighting.

Which of course SY have discounted.

[Alice Purjorick]

Which of SY have discounted.

And which the PJ thought was flaky.

[misty]

Which of course SY have discounted.

It hadn't been discounted at the time the report was made.

[slartibartfast]

It hadn't been discounted at the time the report was made.

That is totally irrelevant. It has been discounted so was of no value then.

[misty]

That is totally irrelevant. It has been discounted so was of no value then.

The PJ only discounted it because it wasn't RM. To quote from the documentary The Truth of the Lie (English translation)


Olegário de Sousa
Chief PJ Inspector

18.31 – A male individual, aged 33 and a resident in the area of the events has been made an arguido. He was questioned as such, and no evidence has been collected that could justify his detention and further judicial questioning.

19.11 – The journalist suspected him, but we didn’t follow what the journalist said. We followed the analysis of the facts. The facts were analysed, what actually had happened, and we followed a testimony, a testimony that had to be weakened in order to advance the abduction theory. Jane Tanner’s testimony. Because otherwise, the abduction theory died right there. The major foundation for the abduction was what that witness had seen: a man carrying a child, walking into the direction of Robert Murat’s house.

[slartibartfast]

The PJ only discounted it because it wasn't RM. To quote from the documentary The Truth of the Lie (English translation)


Olegário de Sousa
Chief PJ Inspector

18.31 – A male individual, aged 33 and a resident in the area of the events has been made an arguido. He was questioned as such, and no evidence has been collected that could justify his detention and further judicial questioning.

19.11 – The journalist suspected him, but we didn’t follow what the journalist said. We followed the analysis of the facts. The facts were analysed, what actually had happened, and we followed a testimony, a testimony that had to be weakened in order to advance the abduction theory. Jane Tanner’s testimony. Because otherwise, the abduction theory died right there. The major foundation for the abduction was what that witness had seen: a man carrying a child, walking into the direction of Robert Murat’s house.

Doesn't really say that...?

[misty]

Doesn't really say that...?

Yes it does.

[faithlilly]

And which the PJ thought was flaky.

As did their own PIs !

[Alice Purjorick]

As did their own PIs !

PJ said it looks like a duck. (after about a week)
PI's said it quacks like a duck.(after about a year)
SY said guess what folks? it was a bleedin' duck. (after about 6 years)

[Mr Gray]

Which of course SY have discounted.

no they haven't

[slartibartfast]

no they haven't

It's John Cleese...😃

[ferryman]

The Sunday Times made a compete dogs bollocks of what was really a valid story.  The mistake they made was to claim that the McCann's withheld the e-fits created by Halligen and Oakley International from the police for five years. We know now thanks to Halligen that the e-fits were created in 2008 shortly after he took over from Método3 as the McCann's private investigator. We know that the e-fits along with a report was submitted to the McCanns through the Madeleine Fund in November 2008 but no further action was taken.  The report was critical of the McCanns and the inconsistencies in their statements.  The e-fits bore a passing resemblance to Gerry McCann so it was determined not to publish them since this in itself could reignite press speculation and would be distracting to the campaign to find Madeleine.  It wasn't for another year that the e-fits found their way to Leicestershire Police and the PJ in Portugal.  Again, nothing was done about them and they were filed away under lock and key.  It wasn't for another two years that Scotland Yard got wind of the e-fits and the controversial report which accompanied them.  In the end, Scotland Yard decided that the e-fits were significant and so some five years after they had been produced they were eventually published using the BBC Crimewatch programme.

So in the end it was clear, the Smith e-fits were withheld from the public for five long years.  The unanswered question is WHY?

It wasn't a valid story at all.

The e-fits were with the McCanns by November 2008 and with the police (English and Portuguese!) by January 2009.

The police chose the moment of the crimewatch programme to unveil the e-fits publicly, for the obvious reason that an e-fit of a man carrying a child in close proximity to apartment 5a at just about the time Madeleine was abducted could not be released other than in the context of a live and on-going police enquiry.

There is the valid story.