Would a Portuguese Crimewatch have helped find Madeleine McCann?

[Brietta]

I'm trying to decipher the CMTV alternative to the Crimewatch appeal. I can't catch every word, but FWIW, some notes. Perhaps a PT speaker could confirm or correct:

- Ominous music

- Large quantities of alcohol (close up of daiquiri on Paraiso drinks board)

- Heavy insinuations about DP (mystery how long he was there): Gerry said DP was in their apart from 30 mins, but Kate said 30 seconds.

- Fiona Payne guaranteed that she accompanied her husband to the apartment.and K and G were at home.

- "One thing is certain: Pamela Fenn saw DP near the apartment at around 7 pm."

- "Kate, for example, (inaudible) daquiri" (close up of one on table)

- During dinner, they drank 8 bottles of wine (4 red, 4 white).

- Hint that any checking was via front door (camera past window with shutter down towards 5A door)

- Contradictions about checking (every 30 or 15 mins)

- Russell's timeline (5.57) Jane arrow to Gerry, arrow to Russell, arrow to Kate

- At 21:00, Gerry and Russell left the table.

- Gerry bumped into Jez (a BBC producer)

- Jane Turner goes to find her husband, says she saw man carrying child on his shoulder, think it says G & J don't see her.

- Unexplained scenes of camera going down alleyway at back of apartments.

- Gerry gets back to Tapas at 21:30.

- Russell returned around 1/2 hour after Gerry.

- Kate goes to check and screams "They've taken her".

- Camera simulates running around to the front with shutter still down.

- Bed with covers pulled up (no CC or blanket).

(up to 8.45)

Then interview with GA & Moita Flores...

My Portuguese stretches to "Olá" so I watched to get an impression of what was going on by judging (please do not laugh) 'body language'.

I thought it was the DP show, his name was mentioned so often.  Also am I correct in hearing YM name being raised ... ?  The main impression given was that a lot of alcohol featured ... even shots of the pool being artfully framed with glasses and bottles.

[faithlilly]

My Portuguese stretches to "Olá" so I watched to get an impression of what was going on by judging (please do not laugh) 'body language'.

I thought it was the DP show, his name was mentioned so often.  Also am I correct in hearing YM name being raised ... ?  The main impression given was that a lot of alcohol featured ... even shots of the pool being artfully framed with glasses and bottles.

Yet strangely enough in the CW programme it seemed as if DP had been airbrushed from history.

[Carana]

My Portuguese stretches to "Olá" so I watched to get an impression of what was going on by judging (please do not laugh) 'body language'.

I thought it was the DP show, his name was mentioned so often.  Also am I correct in hearing YM name being raised ... ?  The main impression given was that a lot of alcohol featured ... even shots of the pool being artfully framed with glasses and bottles.

I'll try listening to it again and will see if I can get confirmation from a PT speaker.

Has anyone come across a transcript?

On the content of the exclusive interview following the "reconstruction", I have a lot of trouble understanding GA's accent and anyone who speaks quickly.

[Carana]

Yet strangely enough in the CW programme it seemed as if DP had been airbrushed from history.

The CW programme was a general reminder of events to jog memories as an appeal for witnesses concerning details or people of interest to the investigation.

[faithlilly]

The CW programme was a general reminder of events to jog memories as an appeal for witnesses concerning details or people of interest to the investigation.

Yet all the other holiday friends were mentioned by name.

Odd !

[Brietta]

The CW programme was a general reminder of events to jog memories as an appeal for witnesses concerning details or people of interest to the investigation.

I think at the time of making the Portuguese programme there was still an element of being mired in the past and massaging dated prejudices.

I wonder what the tenor of such a programme would be if made today now that people are more aware that the present investigators from the PJ continue working the case following their own investigation and that as far as SY are concerned persons of interest are in existence and have been interviewed.
We don't know what the PJ are doing because they do not require ILORs to do it and the 'source close to the investigation' has either retired or been transferred.

For one thing, I think there would be different interviewees.

[Carana]

I think at the time of making the Portuguese programme there was still an element of being mired in the past and massaging dated prejudices.

I wonder what the tenor of such a programme would be if made today now that people are more aware that the present investigators from the PJ continue working the case following their own investigation and that as far as SY are concerned persons of interest are in existence and have been interviewed.
We don't know what the PJ are doing because they do not require ILORs to do it and the 'source close to the investigation' has either retired or been transferred.

For one thing, I think there would be different interviewees.

It seems to be a knee-jerk reaction. When the Met was seeking to jog memories, Amaral & co then jumped in to  insist (while the CW appeal was still hot news), that their interpretation - with numerous errors - was the right one.

How is that supposed to help find what happened to a missing child?

[Brietta]

It seems to be a knee-jerk reaction. When the Met was seeking to jog memories, Amaral & co then jumped in to  insist (while the CW appeal was still hot news), that their interpretation - with numerous errors - was the right one.

How is that supposed to help find what happened to a missing child?

I can appreciate that it would have been a difficult time for Mr Amaral.

Nothing highlighted the failures of his investigation more clearly than the reopening of Madeleine McCann's case by SY compounded by the PJ reopening their own investigation.
Both relied on 'new' evidence.

Bearing in mind that there has probably never been an investigation of any kind that didn't have its flaws or where different decisions might have produced better results ... perhaps he could have approached the CW revelations in a more positive way than raking over the ashes of his tenure.

[ferryman]

I can appreciate that it would have been a difficult time for Mr Amaral.

Nothing highlighted the failures of his investigation more clearly than the reopening of Madeleine McCann's case by SY compounded by the PJ reopening their own investigation.
Both relied on 'new' evidence.

Bearing in mind that there has probably never been an investigation of any kind that didn't have its flaws or where different decisions might have produced better results ... perhaps he could have approached the CW revelations in a more positive way than raking over the ashes of his tenure.

Love the way you've worded that post, Brietta ...

 

[pegasus]

I can appreciate that it would have been a difficult time for Mr Amaral.

Nothing highlighted the failures of his investigation more clearly than the reopening of Madeleine McCann's case by SY compounded by the PJ reopening their own investigation.
Both relied on 'new' evidence.

Bearing in mind that there has probably never been an investigation of any kind that didn't have its flaws or where different decisions might have produced better results ... perhaps he could have approached the CW revelations in a more positive way than raking over the ashes of his tenure.

Just before 2 Oct 2007 Amaral was trying to find where man went after smith sighting.
SY in PDL were trying to find where man went after smith sighting.

[faithlilly]

Just before 2 Oct 2007 Amaral was trying to find where man went after smith sighting.
SY in PDL were trying to find where man went after smith sighting.

Seems their thinking re: perpetrator was very similar Pegasus.

[Brietta]

Just before 2 Oct 2007 Amaral was trying to find where man went after smith sighting.
SY in PDL were trying to find where man went after smith sighting.

There is a suggestion that there are many avenues of investigation which were ignored and many investigative opportunities neglected once Mr Amaral had decided that Madeleine was dead.  A thesis for which there is not a shred of evidence.

It appears that the gap between the taking of the three Smith statements and the decision to look for the man they said they had seen on the night Madeleine disappeared substantiates the inept investigation.

I can think of no other valid explanation for the failure to properly check out eye witness testimony given in May and left sitting on a shelf until October than a totally botched appraisal of the evidence.

The statements do not appear to have received the proper diligence ... it took the Rebelo investigation to check the statements on the 10th of October http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/MARTIN_SMITH.htm#p10p3276 ... a competent investigation would have checked that out at the time and when the staff on duty might have had a better chance of recalling the large family visit.

[G-Unit]

Seems their thinking re: perpetrator was very similar Pegasus.

Interesting that the programme said that Mrs Fenn saw David Payne on the McCanns balcony at 7pm. That isn't in her statement in the files. The only reference to 7pm is when the 'questionnaire' is mentioned and Fiona Payne is said to have been there at 7pm. Was the questionnaire issued as a result of something said by Mrs Fenn which hasn't been released I wonder?

The programme also mentions how the Gasper statements came to the attention of the PJ. Apparently they came through with an unrelated fax from LP. That may explain how the PJ knew they existed and were able subsequently to ask for them.

http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/Gaspar.htm

[faithlilly]

There is a suggestion that there are many avenues of investigation which were ignored and many investigative opportunities neglected once Mr Amaral had decided that Madeleine was dead.  A thesis for which there is not a shred of evidence.

It appears that the gap between the taking of the three Smith statements and the decision to look for the man they said they had seen on the night Madeleine disappeared substantiates the inept investigation.

I can think of no other valid explanation for the failure to properly check out eye witness testimony given in May and left sitting on a shelf until October than a totally botched appraisal of the evidence.

The statements do not appear to have received the proper diligence ... it took the Rebelo investigation to check the statements on the 10th of October http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/MARTIN_SMITH.htm#p10p3276 ... a competent investigation would have checked that out at the time and when the staff on duty might have had a better chance of recalling the large family visit.

The Smith family were brought back to PDL by Amaral in May and a reconstruction conducted so your claim that the witness testimony was left 'sitting on a shelf ' is diengenious to say the least. Once Martin Smith had claimed in September that he was 80% sure the man he saw on the 3rd of May was Gerry McCann Amaral started to arrange for him to be brought back to Portugal. Unfortunately, as we now know, he was taken off the case before he succeeded.

[faithlilly]

Interesting that the programme said that Mrs Fenn saw David Payne on the McCanns balcony at 7pm. That isn't in her statement in the files. The only reference to 7pm is when the 'questionnaire' is mentioned and Fiona Payne is said to have been there at 7pm. Was the questionnaire issued as a result of something said by Mrs Fenn which hasn't been released I wonder?

The programme also mentions how the Gasper statements came to the attention of the PJ. Apparently they came through with an unrelated fax from LP. That may explain how the PJ knew they existed and were able subsequently to ask for them.

http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/Gaspar.htm

G-Unit are you talking about the CW programme because I don't remember any mention of Mrs Fenn ?