Contrary to what Mr Amaral says about the importance to the investigation of what the Smith family said they saw on their way home is Mr Smith's opinion of the value attached.
The sighting did serve some purpose insofar as it enabled Mr Murat to be eliminated as the carrier. The three Smith statements confirm the inability to provide any other identification nor even to recognise anyone from photographs.
Mr Amaral's interest in the Smith sighting was piqued only when Martin Smith wrongly identified Gerry McCann as the carrier. If he claims that the Smith information was devalued he is the man who will know the answer as to exactly why that was. It all happened on his watch.
Snip
Speaking from his home in Drogheda, Co Louth, Mr Smith said that the Portuguese police did not seem to think his sighting was significant.
He added: “It looked as if they put 90% credence on the Jane Tanner sighting, maybe that wrong-footed them and they didn’t take our sighting as seriously. I was surprised it took six years to rule out the other sighting.”
He said he has met with Scotland Yard detectives twice over the past 18 months to help them with the new probe. He added: “We‘d all love to see the police get to the bottom of what happened.”
“We think about Madeleine a lot and we would love to see a conclusion to this case.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/madeleine-mccann-crimewatch-appeal-kidnapper-2371929Snip
— States that it is not possible for him to recognise the individual in person or by photograph. Martin Smith
— Questioned, states that probably she would not be able to recognise either the individual or the child. Aoife Smith
— States that it would not be possible to recognize the individual in person or via photograph. Peter Smith
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/MARTIN_SMITH.htm