Was Mr Smiths claim just pie in the sky after all?

[Lace]

More spin?

SY have told us in no uncertain terms that Smithman is The One.

The one who took Madeleine.

If Smithman wasn't The One, we still wouldn't know about him.  Just another dad, no reason to announce it on Crime watch.

I don't know Portugual at all,   but if this was just another Dad,   where might this man have been going with his child?

If a holiday maker could records be checked to see if any one was renting down that area?     Police seem to think he was on his way to the beach area,   where on the beach area could he have been staying,  have they checked?

[sadie]

I don't know Portugual at all,   but if this was just another Dad,   where might this man have been going with his child?

If a holiday maker could records be checked to see if any one was renting down that area?     Police seem to think he was on his way to the beach area,   where on the beach area could he have been staying,  have they checked?

If he was another dad returning from somewhere with his child, not only where was he going but also where did he come from is of interst. 

And as the father of a little girl the same sort of age as Madeleine, why hasn't he come forward ?  ... any father would feel for Madeleine, especially if he had a daughter of the same age, and he knew the talk was about him and his daughter.   I cant believe that such a man would not come forward.

Mainly because of this , I cant help thinking that Smithman was carrying Madeleine and that is why he hasn't come forward.  Crechman came forward it seems, so why hasn't Smithman?

[pegasus]

If the man seen by the irish family was an innocent father with child, its likely he understands portuguese not english (BIG CLUE: didnt answer when greeted in english).
But you could argue, why didnt he watch on portuguese TV the full portuguese edition of the special BBC Crimewatch appeal and come forward after seeing it? You would think everyone in PDL watched that complete BBC Crimewatch appeal portuguese edition?
Well you'd be wrong, There was no portuguese edition of that Crimewatch special. And its not the fault of the portuguese TV companies, they asked and got refused.

[pathfinder73]

Smithman was carrying Madeleine McCann and he passed the Smith family at 10.03pm. I have no doubts whatsoever!

[AnneGuedes]

If the man seen by the irish family was an innocent father with child, its likely he understands portuguese not english (BIG CLUE: didnt answer when greeted in english).

This is a groundless deduction, Pegasus.
1) All Portuguese study English for at least 5 years at school.
2) Anyhow the words don't intend to mean anything in particular, greeting is expressed by the voice and words are just a vector.

[pegasus]

Smithman was carrying Madeleine McCann and he passed the Smith family at 10.03pm. I have no doubts whatsoever!

Which time(s) on Kelly till do you think is of the witnesses?
 

[pathfinder73]

Aoife was the only one who knew for certain the time that they left Kelly's bar. She said 10pm. The men were drinking alcohol and she wasn't!

[AnneGuedes]

Aoife was the only one who knew for certain the time that they left Kelly's bar. She said 10pm. The men were drinking alcohol and she wasn't!

10:03 is likely a Columbo mistake.

[pathfinder73]

10:03 is likely a Columbo mistake.

Yes indeed - it was rather funny when 10.03 hit me. Leaving Kelly's bar at 10pm and a few minutes later Smithman quickly passes by

[pegasus]

... All Portuguese study English for at least 5 years at school...

What year was the 5 years compulsory Engliish schooling introduced?

[sadie]

If the man seen by the irish family was an innocent father with child, its likely he understands portuguese not english (BIG CLUE: didnt answer when greeted in english).
But you could argue, why didnt he watch on portuguese TV the full portuguese edition of the special BBC Crimewatch appeal and come forward after seeing it? You would think everyone in PDL watched that complete BBC Crimewatch appeal portuguese edition?
Well you'd be wrong, There was no portuguese edition of that Crimewatch special. And its not the fault of the portuguese TV companies, they asked and got refused.

But there was huge publicity at the time pegasus,  Why didn't he come forward then?

[pegasus]

... 10.03pm...

So you have exactly 36 minutes from the credit card transaction at the Dolphin until the sighting.
Do you think there was just one cash payment at Kelly, or two?

[pegasus]

But there was huge publicity at the time pegasus,  Why didn't he come forward then?

The portuguese TV stations were refused permission to broadcast a portuguese-translation version of the crimewatch special,
Did SY and the limited company ensure that appeals were broadcast on in portuguese language on all major portuguese TV channels for this man to come forward? Did those appeal broadcasts state the street location, direction, date and time as well as the 2 efits?

[AnneGuedes]

What year was the 5 years compulsory Engliish schooling introduced?

Compulsory ?
English and French, now more years of English than of French, are taught in secondary school in Portugal, as it happens in all small countries. It's a question of survival, though Portuguese is the fifth most spoken language of the world, if considering the number of persons who have it as mother language. 

[AnneGuedes]

The portuguese TV stations were refused permission to broadcast a portuguese-translation version of the crimewatch special,
Did SY and the limited company ensure that appeals were broadcast on in portuguese language on all major portuguese TV channels for this man to come forward? Did those appeal broadcasts state the street location, direction, date and time as well as the 2 efits?

Foreign programs are almost never dubbed, it's much too expensive. They are subtitled.