Latest news on the search for Madeleine McCann

[Brietta]

Yet again you dodge the original question with a question of your own.

I have asked you to clarify your question which is actually a statement, by indicating what ... in your opinion ... the correlation is between your certainty that Madeleine is dead ... and her parents. 

That is a question and it is not a rhetorical one because you obviously have a firmly held view on the matter.


 - SNIP - “Don't you understand that that would mean Madeleine is almost certainly dead or is that second in importance to the McCanns being innocent ?” http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=2784.msg173448#msg173448

[Brietta]

Is it worth pointing out that we have no idea whether the individuals questioned have anything to do with Madeleine's disappearance ?

As to your second comment, I don't think you have to be Ronnie Bigg's best pal to appreciate that if there is a large amount of cash offered for information which could solve a crime, if you have such information you'd take it to the proper authorities.

Tell me Brietta, why are you so desperate for these men to appear guilty ? Don't you understand that that would mean Madeleine is almost certainly dead or is that second in importance to the McCanns being innocent ?

What a silly and objectionable statement you make without basis in fact. 

If these arguidos have any connection to Madeleine that won’t be decided by me … that will be decided by the evidence and a court of law.

I have no personal opinion about anyone … and most certainly not until due process has decided who is responsible for this heinous crime.

[John]

The English ask for the arguidos’ DNA - The Four Arguidos Revealed

- Illegal means were suggested
- Suspects have started to be questioned

Jornal de Notícias (paper & epaper editions)
by Marisa Rodrigues
02.07.2014

The British police went as far as asking the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) to collect fingerprints and the DNA profile of the four suspects that have now been made arguidos. Furtively, if necessary.

The request is included in a rogatory letter from July last year, but it was challenged by the PJ, because it is illegal. Upon request from Scotland Yard and with approval from the Public Ministry, the suspects were formally made arguidos, yesterday, by inspectors from the PJ’s Southern Directory, in Faro.

At least two of the arguidos were not accompanied by lawyers, that have been nominated in the meantime so the questioning could take place. A list containing over 250 questions awaited them. The majority accepted to answer. The questions were made by the Polícia Judiciária’s inspectors, in the presence of British detectives that could not intervene.

JN knows that the questioning was concluded at the start of the evening and the arguidos are not due to return to the Directory. The last one leaving, at around 20h30, was Sergey Malinka, a Russian citizen with Portuguese nationality, who had already been investigated in 2007, in the Portuguese case. His computers were seized and home searches were made, but nothing relevant was found. He was a friend of Robert Murat, a former arguido in the Portuguese process.

The other suspects are José da Silva, a former Ocean Club driver, Paulo Jorge Ribeiro, unemployed, who suffers from schizophrenia, and Ricardo Jorge, who was then 16 years old. They live in Praia da Luz, some of them near the terrain where the searches took place one month ago. Scotland Yard believes that they planned to burgle the apartment where the McCanns were spending a holiday. But Madeleine woke up and was killed, so she wouldn’t be able to identify them, and the body was carried by one of them, down the streets that were filled with tourists. A theory that makes absolutely no sense for the PJ.

From today, 11 witnesses start being questioned, also at Scotland Yard’s request.

Sniffer dogs for searches in cars

The English authorities are accompanied by sniffer dogs from the United Kingdom, in case after the interrogations and the making of arguidos, it turns out to be necessary to perform searches, for example in cars. The dogs are the same that recently participated in searches on grounds in the Algarve. Earlier in the investigation, in 2007, two dogs (Eddie and Keela) helped collect indicia.



Arguidos: Facts that the English consider to be compromising

Sergei Malinka, businessman, aged 30
Back in 2007, he was a suspect and a target of searches by the PJ. Now, he is again because he discarded a sofa that was analysed by forensic experts and contained hairs that were similar to others found in the McCanns’ apartment. There is also a conversation that was reported in second hand and supposedly heard near Malinka’s home, about a body that had to be disposed of. The English valued the fact that, at the time, the Russian’s car was torched and someone wrote the word “fala” [“talk”] on the sidewalk.

José Silva, former driver, aged 38
He worked at the Ocean Club and the English point him out as the person who chose the apartments that were to be broken into in the resort and was in charge of checking the tourists’ movements. Scotland Yard says that he is compromised by phone calls that he made to other arguidos on the night of the disappearance and his similarity with the e-fit that was based on the description from an Irish family that was on holiday in Praia da Luz. He is allegedly the famous man who was seen carrying a child.

Paulo Ribeiro, aged 50
He became a suspect for the English policemen because foreign tourists described his odd behaviour and his presence near the McCanns’ apartment before the disappearance. A sufferer of mental illness, he was also denounced through his similarity with another e-fit based on the deposition of witnesses who identified him as a beggar and because he knew one of the other arguidos with whom he spoke on the phone on the day of the crime.

Ricardo Rodrigues, aged 23
He was 16 at the time of the disappearance and the English people connect him to the case because of phone calls that he made before the fateful moment and on that same day, including one call to Paulo Ribeiro. Another of the allegedly incriminating arguments is the fact that he fits the description that was made by witnesses of one of the two beggars and a suspect of burglaries in the area of Praia da Luz. Against him there is also the fact that he lives close to some of the other men that were now made arguidos upon request from the English policemen.

This article was published in the Portuguese daily Jornal de Notícias on the 2nd July but a translation was not provided at the time.  It sets out who the new arguidos are and attempts to reason why they have been so designated. Certainly worth a read.

Original article attached below.

[Alfred R Jones]

Hmm...the article seems to put paid once and for all to the notion that the McCanns are still the chief suspects in this case doesn't it?

[Brietta]

Hmm...the article seems to put paid once and for all to the notion that the McCanns are still the chief suspects in this case doesn't it?

Logic would dictate that ... but when has logic ever been applied when it comes to Madeleine's case?

When you weigh up the notional case which has been engineered against the Drs McCann in which the ‘evidence’ has followed the theory; against the probability that someone with a similar profile to these men has a far more likely chance of being involved in Madeleine’s disappearance …  it is chilling.   

Bearing in mind that these individuals may yet be eliminated from the inquiry, only now is the evidence being followed to substantiate what might have occurred. 

These people or someone very like them were resident in Luz at the time in question; everything that led to them being interviewed has been available for the past seven years; concentration of resources on erroneous and misrepresented information has allowed this situation to be perpetuated.   

[faithlilly]

Logic would dictate that ... but when has logic ever been applied when it comes to Madeleine's case?

When you weigh up the notional case which has been engineered against the Drs McCann in which the ‘evidence’ has followed the theory; against the probability that someone with a similar profile to these men has a far more likely chance of being involved in Madeleine’s disappearance …  it is chilling.   

Bearing in mind that these individuals may yet be eliminated from the inquiry, only now is the evidence being followed to substantiate what might have occurred. 

These people or someone very like them were resident in Luz at the time in question; everything that led to them being interviewed has been available for the past seven years; concentration of resources on erroneous and misrepresented information has allowed this situation to be perpetuated.

I notice you have nothing to say on the subject of SY's willingness to use illegal means to gain fingerprint and DNA evidence. When I remember all the righteous indignation from the believers when Gerry was told, to gain information, that a DNA match to Madeleine had been found it does make them look rather silly in your unquestioning support for SY.

[Brietta]

I notice you have nothing to say on the subject of SY's willingness to use illegal means to gain fingerprint and DNA evidence. When I remember all the righteous indignation from the believers when Gerry was told, to gain information, that a DNA match to Madeleine had been found it does make them look rather silly in your unquestioning support for SY.

Since when have Letters of Request been sent to ask for evidence to be collected by illegal means?

That is such an obvious fabrication I am astounded that you have
a: bothered to repeat it
b: been 'taken in' by it ... if you have.

[Carana]

Since when have Letters of Request been sent to ask for evidence to be collected by illegal means?

That is such an obvious fabrication I am astounded that you have
a: bothered to repeat it
b: been 'taken in' by it ... if you have.

I was about to say roughly the same thing.

John didn't provide a cite, but I presume that he took it from
http://joana-morais.blogspot.com/2014/07/phone-calls-and-hairs-frame-suspects.html

Interestingly, Joana makes the following comment at the bottom:


Note: Firstly published on this blog on 02/07/2014 08:00 GMT, republished on 14 July 2014 at 19:00 GMT - this Correio da Manhã article is important because it quotes directly from one of the Metropolitan Police rogatory letters. Everything in square brackets is my personal addition to text either to aid the flow of the readability of the text or to explain facts.

Has Faro been leaking again? If so, are they any more accurate than 2007 Groundhog leaks?

[stephen25000]

Discussion on the radio now, LBC, with John Stapleton, with a phone in. SKY 0112.

Theme about whether it is right to leave children by themselves, and discussing a case of a woman who was cautioned for leaving a baby in the car in high temperatures, whilst going shopping.........

Witnesses had called the police seeing the baby sweating in the vehicle.

[Mr Gray]

I notice you have nothing to say on the subject of SY's willingness to use illegal means to gain fingerprint and DNA evidence. When I remember all the righteous indignation from the believers when Gerry was told, to gain information, that a DNA match to Madeleine had been found it does make them look rather silly in your unquestioning support for SY.

SY would not use illegal means as this would make any evidence obtained inadmissible..the article is misleading

[jassi]

SY would not use illegal means as this would make any evidence obtained inadmissible..the article is misleading

I'm sure they would, though they would not want to admit it for the reason you give.

[Eleanor]

Don't be silly.  Evidence recovered by less than lawful means would not be admissible, and would result in the suspect being released from prosecution.
Everybody knows that.  Especially wherein a foreign country is concerned.

This just did not happen.

[Miss Taken Identity]

Are there any news  about charges on the 'imminent arrests' as told by the Sun newspaper?  The newspaper who made Millions from a child's fate! Tsk Tsk

Anyone charged at all?  with anything?  any new evidence?

[ removed off topic comment ]

[Mr Gray]

Are there any news  about charges on the 'imminent arrests' as told by the Sun newspaper?  The newspaper who made Millions from a child's fate! Tsk Tsk

Anyone charged at all?  with anything?  any new evidence?

[ removed off topic comment ]

As I understand the next stage of the investigation is to take dna and fingerprints from the present arguidos. As the PJ will not co operate this will need a rogatory letter from the UK. The request to interview these present arguidos took a year to process from what I can see . This is why SY would like a joint investigation.

[jassi]

The Portuguese authorities have consistently refused a joint investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

Archive - Portuguese reject joint investigation

Maybe they are not impressed by the Met's reputation for honesty.