Gonçalo Amaral confirms he will appeal the damages decision to higher Court.

[Brietta]

Quite a strange post when talking about the trial, thinking about the funding of the McCann's legal costs?

The strange post is not mine but the one to which I am responding ... which raised the subject of Madeleine's fund which you may note from my response I mention nothing in relation to legal costs but only the costs of looking for Madeleine.

Why have you put the interpretation on it that it is in reference to her parents' legal costs?

[slartibartfast]

the McCanns have put a lot of money themselves into the fund...enough to cover the legal cost several times over. Wasn't their latest payment from the Times given straight to charity

Once it is in the fund, it isn't their money.

[slartibartfast]

The strange post is not mine but the one to which I am responding ... which raised the subject of Madeleine's fund which you may note from my response I mention nothing in relation to legal costs but only the costs of looking for Madeleine.

Why have you put the interpretation on it that it is in reference to her parents' legal costs?

Maybe something to do with the thread title and you stating the reason behind MF.

[pegasus]

Why aren't these professional lawyer types who support Ammy giving him their time for free rather than coughing up £8k to pay some other lawyer type...?

Because it is more effective to use the best lawyer for the job.
Also because people work more efficiently if they don't have to live on nothing while they are doing it.
This is why you will find that all the law firms and the PR individual and companies used by the other side are paid.

[ferryman]

Do you have any idea what is in Gonçalo Amaral's appeal? Why do you assume that he is only contesting the amount awarded?

There's nothing else he can contest.

(One of Amaral's sacked) lawyers admitted libel (on Amaral's behalf) when he asked if proceedings could be in camera to protect Madeleine lest Madeleine be alive.

If you doubt that, refresh yourself on the final chapter of Amaral's book ...

[Brietta]

Once it is in the fund, it isn't their money.

Yet despite that knowledge they chose to direct the profits from a best seller ... not into their private accounts as they were entitled to do ... but into Madeleine's Fund.

Moneys awarded from litigation both to them and their friends was paid into Madeleine's Fund. 

That they were able to donate the damages awarded to them for the libel perpetrated by the Sunday Times to two charities was only because at long last Madeleine's case had been officially reopened.

They did not have to do that ... but the money was theirs to do with as they wished ... and that was how they chose to use it.

[Alfred R Jones]

Because it is more effective to use the best lawyer for the job.
Also because people work more efficiently if they don't have to live on nothing while they are doing it.
This is why you will find that all the law firms and the PR individual and companies used by the other side are paid.

Has Amaral got the best lawyer?  He's certainly got though a few of them in his time.  And - ever heard of "pro bono"?  If Amaral is destitute, but with masses of support from the legal community and a dead cert to win his appeal, I would have thought they'd be queuing up round the block to help him for free.

[pegasus]

Madeleine's Fund is dedicated to looking for Madeleine ... remember her?  the missing child.

At the moment there is no requirement for her parents to raise money for that ... as the people who have the legal right and the legal powers to do that are currently so doing.

Why do you persist in asking such an unnecessary question ... what point are you trying to make?

MFLNSU Ltd is dedicated to looking for Madeleine AND ensuring any perp is caught
(there used to be a 3rd aim but that was removed years ago)

Mr Mitchell's statement on 2nd Sept 2015 makes it clear IMO that donations to MF are as important now as they ever have been.

[Brietta]

Maybe something to do with the thread title and you stating the reason behind MF.

I responded to a post.

I would be very much obliged if you would refrain from putting words into my mouth or into my posts which were not there in the first instance ... or could even be loosely assumed to be my intended meaning.

Do you do this with other posters or am I uniquely in your sights?

Agreed that at the moment the discussion is the opaque and unaudited Amaral Fund for his appeal against the Portuguese judge's ruling against him.
The transparent and audited Madeleine Fund season really doesn't begin until December through to early January ... however I don't see that particular post you have picked on as making any connection with the Drs McCann legal costs and fail to see how you make that connection.

[pegasus]

Yet despite that knowledge they chose to direct the profits from a best seller ... not into their private accounts as they were entitled to do ... but into Madeleine's Fund.

Moneys awarded from litigation both to them and their friends was paid into Madeleine's Fund. 

That they were able to donate the damages awarded to them for the libel perpetrated by the Sunday Times to two charities was only because at long last Madeleine's case had been officially reopened.

They did not have to do that ... but the money was theirs to do with as they wished ... and that was how they chose to use it.

Yes and that choice was put in black and white on page 393 of the book.
"all royalties earned from sales of this book will be donated to Madeleine's Fund"

Therefore it is impossible for any royalties from the book to be donated into any other fund or account.
The "other account" mentioned by Mr Mitchell on 02/09/2015 must get its money from some other source, not book royalties.

[Brietta]

MFLNSU Ltd is dedicated to looking for Madeleine AND ensuring any perp is caught
(there used to be a 3rd aim but that was removed years ago)

Mr Mitchell's statement on 2nd Sept 2015 makes it clear IMO that donations to MF are as important now as they ever have been.

Was that statement actually made on September 2nd 2015 ... or was it a much earlier one?  At the moment there is every hope that the present investigations will reach a positive conclusion ... but whatever, there can be no argument that for the time being people can be very relaxed about Madeleine's Fund.

The same cannot be said about the rather flagging funding for Mr Amaral's appeal until the good news (if there actually was a large donation) ~ less than good news though if as some have suggested some redistributive accounting has occurred instead .

Publishing the accounts would address that suggestion.

[Jean-Pierre]

Soooo, it had been noted that donations to the fund recently had slowed to a trickle, there had been some eyebrows raised here and elsewhere at the lack of homegrown PT support for Amaral's fund, then - low and behold - two massive donations, allegedly from a bunch of (anonymous) PT nationals. 

I smell a great big rat....

What are you suggesting, Alfred? 

I am sure these donations are absolutely genuine and above board.  And I am equally certain that when the independently audited accounts of the Amaral fund are released this will show that all the figures tie up between Amaral's fund, Go Fund Me and the legal costs, and there is no evidence of any recycling of donations.

May I also commend the two donors for having managed to make their Portuguese donations equal exactly £4000 - but why oh why donate via the GoFundMe site.  The cost of doing so is at least £400 - (5%) and if the money was collected in euros and converted to GBP, there would be an exchange rate cost typically of 1% to 2%.  (an extra £80 to £160).

Whereas if they had simply made the donation directly via the BPI - Banco Português de Investimento, Sete Rios, Lisboa, there would have been no charge and no exchange costs and Amaral could have been £500 quid better off. 

I am sure there is a simple explanation for this.     

 

[Eleanor]

Has Amaral got the best lawyer?  He's certainly got though a few of them in his time.  And - ever heard of "pro bono"?  If Amaral is destitute, but with masses of support from the legal community and a dead cert to win his appeal, I would have thought they'd be queuing up round the block to help him for free.

Goncalo Amaral was always going to get some sort of legal representation for his appeal.  I don't understand why some people can't see this.  So all of this donating to his Fund is just a statement against The McCanns.

That's okay.  It won't make a scrap of difference to the outcome.

[Mr Gray]

What are you suggesting, Alfred? 

I am sure these donations are absolutely genuine and above board.  And I am equally certain that when the independently audited accounts of the Amaral fund are released this will show that all the figures tie up between Amaral's fund, Go Fund Me and the legal costs, and there is no evidence of any recycling of donations.

May I also commend the two donors for having managed to make their Portuguese donations equal exactly £4000 - but why oh why donate via the GoFundMe site.  The cost of doing so is at least £400 - (5%) and if the money was collected in euros and converted to GBP, there would be an exchange rate cost typically of 1% to 2%.  (an extra £80 to £160).

Whereas if they had simply made the donation directly via the BPI - Banco Português de Investimento, Sete Rios, Lisboa, there would have been no charge and no exchange costs and Amaral could have been £500 quid better off. 

I am sure there is a simple explanation for this.   

and of course all cardholder not present payments...such as these are not guaranteed to be paid

[Alfred R Jones]

What are you suggesting, Alfred? 

I am sure these donations are absolutely genuine and above board.  And I am equally certain that when the independently audited accounts of the Amaral fund are released this will show that all the figures tie up between Amaral's fund, Go Fund Me and the legal costs, and there is no evidence of any recycling of donations.

May I also commend the two donors for having managed to make their Portuguese donations equal exactly £4000 - but why oh why donate via the GoFundMe site.  The cost of doing so is at least £400 - (5%) and if the money was collected in euros and converted to GBP, there would be an exchange rate cost typically of 1% to 2%.  (an extra £80 to £160).

Whereas if they had simply made the donation directly via the BPI - Banco Português de Investimento, Sete Rios, Lisboa, there would have been no charge and no exchange costs and Amaral could have been £500 quid better off. 

I am sure there is a simple explanation for this.   

I'm sure you're right J-P, nice one.