Did he? That's not how I read it.
In addition
"Yeah right Sr Amaral so tell us where this geezer was lurking for about 45 minutes to an hour"?
I would imagine he(Sr Amaral) would have seen that one coming or he thinks the public and PP are to dim to work it out.
From Amaral's perspective - Chapter 8 TToTL.
......At this time, images of Robert Murat - considered to be the main suspect - begin to be circulated all over the world. After they return to Ireland, the Smiths continue to follow the case. They learn that, according to Jane Tanner's statements, Murat is definitely the man encountered on the night of the abduction. Mr Smith then gets in touch with the Irish police to relate what he saw on the night of May 3rd. He insists, categorically, that the man they came across with the little girl in his arms was not Robert Murat. He is sure of it because he knows him.
With hindsight, he is utterly convinced that the little girl was definitely Madeleine. We secretly organise for the Smiths to come to Portugal. On May 26th, in the offices of the Department of Criminal Investigation in Portimão, we interview the father and his son. What they say seems credible. However, because of the dim street lighting, they say they would have a hard time formally recognising the man who was carrying the child. On the other hand, they describe very clearly how the man was holding the little girl and how he was walking. That scene is indelibly printed in their memory. After their interview, they go back to the scene, accompanied by investigators. They indicate the precise place where they came across the man.
Their coming to Portugal as well as their statements are kept secret. Within a few days, they go back to Ireland, but contact is maintained: they undertake to let us have any further details they remember.
We finally have credible witness statements about that stranger who, on the night of May 3rd, was walking in the streets of Vila da Luz with a child in his arms. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Does that not sound to you like Amaral believed the 2 sightings were one & the same person, because it sure does to me?
Back to the opening post - if Crecheman's questionnaire/statement/whatever it was put himself in the vicinity of 5A around the time of Jane's sighting, how would the PJ have worked that into the equation, given the questions we have about Crecheman's direction of travel?
To rule Tannerman out as Crecheman at that stage only left Smithman, whom the Smiths were unable to identify because they said so. If he was an invention, he would never be identified, thus leaving the abduction scenario absolutely in focus & contrary to Amaral's thesis. After all, the Smith family were totally independent of the Tapas 9. If he was a genuine sighting then why, oh why, did Amaral do absolutely nothing about it bar keeping in touch with the Smiths?
