Irish family may have been last to see Madeleine


18 June 2007 
Evening Herald
Aoife Finneran

An Irish family may have been the last to see missing four-year-old Madeleine McCann. Today’s revelation came as Portuguese police asked the family to refrain from speaking in public about the case. The Drogheda-based family were holidaying in Portugal in the same week as the McCanns last month. On the night of Maddy’s disappearance on May 3 in Praia Da Luz, members of the family saw a child being carried by a man. It was around the time that Madeleine was taken from her parents’ apartment.  Following news of her disappearance, the family contacted Portuguese police.

CLUES

They have since given statements to the authorities there. If the girl in question was Maddy, the family may have been the last people to see her. A number of people from Drogheda were holidaying in the resort at the time of Maddy’s disappearance and could hold vital clues.

The region is immensely popular with locals in the town, partly because of the connections with Gerry Fagan of Oceanico Developments. Originally from Drogheda, Gerry purchased Oceanico Developments in 2000 and moved to Portugal to run his business six years ago. He presides over an estimated €220m worth of developments in the western Algarve and his company built the 146-unit Estrela Da Luz complex in Praia Da Luz.

VISITS

The apartments are just a short walk from the Ocean Club resort where Madeleine disappeared. Several Drogheda residents chose to purchase holiday homes in the area, while hundreds more make regular visits. One local representative said: “There are a lot of golf courses in the area and there could be up to 15 families in Drogheda who have bought apartments there.”

Meanwhile, Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry McCann will broaden their high-profile search into a wider campaign on the issues of child trafficking and abduction. The couple plan to mark the 50th day since Madeleine McCann disappeared with the release of 50 balloons in 50 countries. Next Friday’s event comes after a six-week tour of Europe and north Africa.
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Child hunt chaos


Child hunt chaos
Northern Territory News/Sunday Territorian
13 June 2007

Police investigator facing charges

LONDON: The investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann is in chaos after the detective co-ordinating the hunt for her abductor was charged yesterday with criminal offences over another notorious missing child case.

As British couple Kate and Gerry McCann arrived in Morocco for the final leg of their publicity campaign to find their four-year-old daughter, Goncalo Amaral and four other Portuguese police officers were charged with offences relating to the inquiry into the disappearance of Joana Cipriano from a village 11km from where Madeleine was abducted.

Nine-year-old Joana has not been seen since her disappearance three years ago but her mother and uncle were convicted of murdering and dismembering her because she caught them having an incestuous relationship.

Joana's mother, Leonor, has alleged that she was beaten into a confession during a police interrogation that took place without her lawyer or the knowledge of the public prosecutor.

Portugal's Ministerio Publico, the public prosecutor, confirmed yesterday it had charged three officers with torture, a fourth with omission of evidence and a fifth with falsifying documents.

Despite the charges, Mr Amaral, the co-ordinator of the Policia Judiciaria in Portimao, has not been suspended from working on the 39-day-old Madeleine investigation.

The Foreign Office told the McCanns of the charges yesterday.

A family spokesman said:
"They do not remember meeting Goncalo Amaral face to face but naturally they were concerned."
Police sources said Mr Amaral was "very angry" about the allegations and was considering taking action against the Ministerio Publico. "He is very professional and has had a lot of success in solving cases," one said.

The McCanns were due to meet the Moroccan Interior Minister last night.
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Madeleine officer charged over earlier child case


Madeleine officer charged over earlier child case
The Australian 
12 June 2007

David Brown, London
The Times


THE investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann is in chaos after the detective co-ordinating the hunt for her abductor was charged with criminal offences over another notorious missing child case.

As British couple Kate and Gerry McCann arrived in Morocco yesterday for the final leg of their publicity campaign to find their daughter, Goncalo Amaral and four other Portuguese police officers were charged with offences relating to the inquiry into the disappearance of Joana Cipriano from a village 11km from where Madeleine was abducted.

The nine-year-old has not been seen since her disappearance three years ago but her mother and uncle were convicted of murdering and dismembering her because she caught them having an incestuous relationship.

Joana's mother, Leonor, has alleged that she was beaten into a confession during a police interrogation that took place without her lawyer or the knowledge of the public prosecutor.

Portugal's Ministerio Publico, the public prosecutor, confirmed yesterday it had charged three officers with torture, a fourth with omission of evidence and a fifth with falsifying documents.

Despite the charges, Mr Amaral, the co-ordinator of the Policia Judiciaria in Portimao, has not been suspended from working on the 39-day-old Madeleine investigation.

The Foreign Office told the McCanns of the charges yesterday. A family spokesman said: "They do not remember meeting Goncalo Amaral face to face but naturally they were concerned to hear of the charges."

Police sources said Mr Amaral was "very angry" about the allegations and was considering taking action against the Ministerio Publico. "He is very professional and has had a lot of success in solving cases," one said.

In echoes of Madeleine's case, the investigation of Joana's disappearance got off to a false start when the Republican National Guard failed to seal off the house where she was last seen.

Mr and Ms McCann have also expressed frustration at delays in the early stages of the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance. Yesterday it emerged that a witness who claims to have seen Madeleine, aged four, days after she disappeared had still not been properly interviewed, although detectives had assured the McCanns that they had fully investigated the sighting.

Mari Olli says she saw the girl at a petrol station on the outskirts of Marrakesh in Morocco on June 9. Despite contacting Portuguese, Spanish and British police, she has still not been formally interviewed and no statement has been taken. Portuguese police admitted last week they were still waiting for CCTV footage from the petrol station.

A McCann family source said: "We had got the impression that they had sat down with her and gone through her statement in detail, which is not the case. The Portuguese police have complained about the lack of co-operation from the Moroccan authorities. None of it fills you with confidence."

The McCanns were due to meet the Moroccan Interior Minister last night.
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Madeleine's parents take back seat


Madeleine's parents take back seat after campaign moves to Morocco
David Brown in Rabat
12 June 2007
The Times

(Article also appeared in the Calgary Herald, 12 June 2007)

Excerpt:
Kate and Gerry McCann will take a back seat in the campaign because they need time to grieve for their four-year-old daughter, who disappeared 40 days ago.

The couple's decision comes as it was confirmed that the detective co ordinating the investigation into Madeleine's abduction has been charged with covering up allegations of police brutality in a similar case four years ago.

Goncalo Amaral is still serving as the head of the Policia Judiciaria in Portimao despite being charged on Saturday with failing to report claims that three officers "tortured" the mother of a missing girl during an interrogation.

Leonor Cipriano has alleged that she was beaten into a confessing to the murder of her daughter, Joana, 9, who disappeared from a village only seven miles from Praia da Luz in September 2003.
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Moroccan welcome brings ray of sunshine


Moroccan welcome brings ray of sunshine for McCanns
12 June 2007
Irish Independent


Excerpt:
The McCanns will take a lower profile in the campaign to find their daughter after admitting that they were no closer to discovering who abducted her from their holiday apartment in the Algarve 40 days ago.

The couple's decision comes as it was confirmed that the detective co-ordinating the investigation into Madeleine's abduction has been charged with covering up allegations of police brutality in a similar case four years ago.

Goncalo Amaral is still serving as the head of the Policia Judiciaria in Portimao despite being charged on Saturday with failing to report claims that three officers "tortured" the mother of a missing girl during an interrogation.

Leonor Cipriano has alleged that she was beaten into confessing to the murder of her daughter, Joana (9).

Despite more than five weeks of campaigning, Mr McCann admitted that they were no closer to discovering "who has taken her, what their motive was and where they have gone."

"The search is not over until Madeleine is found," he said. "The campaign, particularly behind the scenes, will very much go on to ensure Madeleine's disappearance remains relatively high profile, because we think that helps. But Kate and my role in the campaign will probably not be as public as it has been in the past three weeks."

The McCanns have completed dozens of media interviews and visited Rome, Madrid, Berlin and Amsterdam to raise awareness of Madeleine's disappearance. Their website, www.findmadeleine.com [http://www.findmadeleine.com], has had more than 170 million hits.

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Maddie hunt cop charged


Maddie hunt cop charged
12 June 2007
Daily Telegraph



The detective leading the hunt for missing toddler Madeleine McCann has been charged over his conduct in another missing child case.  The region's Judicial Police head Goncalo Amaral is one of five police officers accused of beating Leonar Cipriano, who was convicted of the murder of his daughter in 2004.  The latest news comes as Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry McCann travelled to Morocco in their search for their four-year-old daughter who has been missing for 39 days.
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Time to grieve


Time to grieve
By Caroline Gammell
11 June 2007
Daily Post (North Wales)


Excerpt:

A SENIOR Portuguese police officer working on the Madeleine McCann case has been charged over an attack on the mother of another missing girl, it was revealed yesterday.

Goncalo Amaral, co-ordinator of the Policia Judiciara in Portimao, Algarve, is one of five men accused of "scenes of aggression" against Leonor Cipriano, whose nine-year-old daughter, Joana, disappeared in September 2004.
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Maddy officer charged in another case


Maddy officer charged in another case
New Zealand Herald 
12 June 2007


PORTUGAL

PRAIA DA LUZ - The detective leading the hunt for Madeleine McCann has been charged over his conduct in another missing child case.

Goncalo Amaral, head of the regional Judicial Police, is one of five officers accused over the beating-up of a suspect during questioning.

They are said to have attacked Leonor Cipriano, whose 9-year-old daughter Joana vanished from the Algarve in 2004.

Cipriano was convicted of murder and jailed, along with her brother Joao, even though Joana's body was never found. A photograph of Cipriano's face covered in bruises following her police interview has been published in Portuguese newspapers.

Police still do not have any suspects in their Madeleine hunt apart from Robert Murat, who looks increasingly likely to be cleared of any involvement.-DAILY MAIL
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Policeman in Madeleine case charged


Policeman in Madeleine case charged
Yorkshire Post 
11 June 2007


A senior Portuguese police officer working on the Madeleine McCann case has been charged over an attack on the mother of another missing girl, it has been revealed.

Goncalo Amaral, co-ordinator of the Policia Judiciara (PJ) in Portimao, Algarve, is one of five men accused of "scenes of aggression" against Leonor Cipriano, whose nine-year-old daughter, Joana, disappeared in September 2004.

The little girl's body has never been found but Cipriano and her brother, Joao, were charged and convicted of her murder.

She went missing from her home in Figueira, not far from where four-year-old Madeleine was abducted in Praia da Luz 39 days ago.

The alleged attack on Cipriano occurred when she was being questioned over Joana's apparent abduction.

It is claimed the suspect was left with bruises all over her face and body, according to local newspaper Jornal de Noticias.

The Ministerio Publico (MP), or district attorney, charged three PJ officers with torture, a fourth with omission of evidence and a fifth with falsification of documents. The district attorney did not reveal who had been charged with what offence.

Police sources said Mr Amaral was "very angry" about the allegations and was considering taking action against the district attorney. "He is very professional and has had a lot of success in solving cases," the source said.

"He is very upset because reporters never speak of these successes."

Mr Amaral was charged in the Algarve, while the other four were charged in Lisbon.

It is alleged that the beating took place as Cipriano was questioned without a lawyer, according to the Portuguese Expresso newspaper.

She lodged a formal complaint about her treatment which was followed up by the district attorney.

In spite of the charges, Mr Amaral, who is in his late 40s, is not thought to have been suspended from work.

A spokesman for Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry said the couple had been made aware of the allegations.

Hopes of a breakthrough in the hunt for the missing four-year-old British girl were dashed when a potentially significant phone call received earlier in the week was dismissed as a hoax.

The call to Spanish police was from an Argentinian pay as you go mobile phone. The caller claimed to know where Madeleine was.

It was deemed so significant Mr and Mrs McCann suspended their search of Europe to investigate its authenticity.

They delayed flying from Berlin to Amsterdam by three hours and even considered going back to Britain to speak to specialists about the caller.

But the caller was dismissed as a professional thief from Cordoba in Argentina. It emerged that he had asked the couple for $1m (£500,000) for the information.

A source close to the family said: "He was dismissed as a conman who was just trying it on basically. They delayed their flight for that."

In Argentina a police source said the caller was not sophisticated enough to carry out the abduction.

They told the daily La Nacion paper: "Though he is a professional thief, neither he nor any of his gang would have the infrastructure necessary for a kidnap of this kind or to hide a girl sought by police in Portugal, Spain and Great Britain."

With no new breakthrough Mr and Mrs McCann embarked on the last of their visits to other countries to raise the profile of Madeleine's case.

They will travel to the Moroccan capital of Rabat for a series of meetings and a news conference to appeal for information. The North African country has repeatedly surfaced in the hunt for their daughter.

After weeks of exhaustive media coverage and high-profile appeals, the couple plan to take a step back next week to give themselves time to grieve.

The couple plan to stay in the Algarve at least until the end of the summer unless Madeleine is found.

They are expected to move out of the Mark Warner Ocean Club resort next week to more permanent housing.

The apartment where Madeleine was abducted has been cleaned for the first time since she was taken and the police cordons removed.
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Detective in missing child case faces charges


Detective in missing child case faces charges
Ottawa Citizen 
11 June 2007


LONDON - The investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann was in chaos last night after the detective co-ordinating the hunt for her abductor was charged with criminal offences over another missing child case.

Goncalo Amaral and four other Portuguese police officers were charged over the weekend with offences relating to the inquiry into the disappearance of Joana Cipriano from a village about 11 kilometres from where Madeleine was abducted.

The nine-year-old girl has not been seen since her disappearance three years ago, but her mother and uncle were convicted of murdering and dismembering Joana because she caught them having an incestuous relationship. Joana's mother, Leonor, has alleged that she was beaten into a confession during a police interrogation that took place without her lawyer or the knowledge of the public prosecutor.
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Detective's charges stun McCann investigation


Detective's charges stun McCann investigation
Calgary Herald 
11 June 2007


The investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann was in chaos Sunday night after the detective co-ordinating the hunt for her abductor was charged with criminal offences over another notorious missing child case.

Goncalo Amaral and four other Portuguese police officers were charged over the weekend with offences relating to the inquiry into the disappearance of Joana Cipriano from a village 11 kilometres from where Madeleine was abducted.

The nine-year-old girl has not been seen since her disappearance three years ago but her mother and uncle were convicted of murdering and dismembering Joana because she caught them having an incestuous relationship. Joana's mother, Leonor, has alleged that she was beaten into a confession during a police interrogation that took place without her lawyer or the knowledge of the public prosecutor.

Portugal's Ministerio Publico, the district attorney, confirmed Sunday that it had charged three police officers with torture, a fourth with omission of evidence and a fifth with falsification of documents.
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Madeleine policeman on charge


Madeleine policeman on charge
The Western Mail
11 June 2007


A senior Portuguese police officer working on the Madeleine McCann case has been charged over an attack on the mother of another missing girl.

Goncalo Amaral, coordinator of the Policia Judiciara in Portimao, Algarve, is one of five men accused of "scenes of aggression" against Leonor Cipriano, whose nine-year-old daughter, Joana, disappeared in September 2004.

The little girl's body has never been found but Cipriano and her brother, Joao, were charged and convicted of her murder.

Joana went missing from her home in Figueira, not far from where four-year-old Madeleine was abducted in Praia da Luz 38 days ago.

The alleged attack on Cipriano occurred when she was questioned over Joana's apparent abduction.

It is claimed the suspect was left with bruises all over her face and body, according to local newspaper Jornal de Noticias yesterday.

The Ministerio Publico, or District Attorney, charged three PJ officers with torture, a fourth with omission of evidence and a fifth with falsification of documents.

The MP did not reveal who had been charged with what offence.

Police sources said Mr Amaral was "very angry" about the allegations and was considering taking action against the MP.

The source added, "He is very professional and has a lot of success in solving cases. He is very upset because reporters never speak of these successes."

It is alleged that the beating took place as Cipriano was questioned without a lawyer, according to the Portuguese Expresso newspaper.
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Detective in Madeleine case on criminal offence charge


Detective in Madeleine case on criminal offence charge
The Evening Standard 
11 June 2007 
Ben Leach


The detective co-ordinating the hunt for Madeleine McCann has been charged with criminal offences over another missing child case.

Goncalo Amaral and four other Portuguese police officers were charged this weekend in connection with the inquiry into the disappearance of Joana Cipriano from a village seven miles from where four-year-old Madeleine was abducted.

The nine-year-old girl disappeared three years ago.

Joana's mother and uncle were convicted of murdering and dismembering her. But Joana's mother, Leonor, claimed she was beaten into a confession by police during an interrogation that took place without her lawyer.

Portugal's Ministerio Publico - the district attorney - has confirmed it had charged three police officers with torture, a fourth with omission of evidence and a fifth with falsification of documents but did not reveal who had been charged with which offence.

However, Mr Amaral, the co-ordinator of the Policia Judiciaria in Portimao, has not been suspended from working on the Madeleine investigation, which started 39 days ago.
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Madeleine officer charged over another missing girl


Madeleine officer charged over another missing girl
The Times 
11 June 2007 
David Brown, Tangier


* Claims of torture and falsifying papers

* Detective remains in charge of case

The investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann was in chaos last night after the detective co- ordinating the hunt for her abductor was charged with criminal offences over another notorious missing child case.

Goncalo Amaral and four other Portuguese police officers were charged over the weekend with offences relating to the inquiry into the disappearance of Joana Cipriano from a village seven miles from where Madeleine was abducted.

The nine-year-old girl has not been seen since her disappearance three years ago but her mother and uncle were convicted of murdering and dismembering Joana because she caught them having an incestuous relationship. Joana's mother, Leonor, has alleged that she was beaten into a confession during a police interrogation that took place without her lawyer or the knowledge of the public prosecutor.

Portugal's Ministerio Publico, the district attorney, confirmed last night that it had charged three police officers with torture, a fourth with omission of evidence and a fifth with falsification of documents. It did not reveal who had been charged with which offence.

Despite the charges, Mr Amaral, the co-ordinator of the Policia Judiciaria in Portimao, has not been suspended from working on the Madeleine investigation, which started 39 days ago.

Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, were informed of the charges by a Foreign Office representative yesterday. A spokesman for the family said: "They do not remember meeting Goncalo Amaral face to face but naturally they were concerned to hear of the charges."

Police sources said that Mr Amaral was "very angry" about the allegations and was considering taking action against the Ministerio Publico. "He is very professional and has had a lot of success in solving cases," the source said. "He is very upset because reporters never speak of these successes."

In echoes of the Madeleine case, the investigation into Joana's disappearance got off to a false start when the Republican National Guard failed to seal off the house where Joana was last seen. Mr and Mrs McCann, from Rothley, Leicestershire, have also expressed frustration at delays in the early stages of the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance.

Last night it emerged that a witness who claims to have seen Madeleine days after she disappeared had still not been properly interviewed by police even though detectives had assured Mr and Mrs McCann that they had fully investigated the sighting.

Mari Olli says that she saw the girl at a petrol station on the outskirts of Marrakesh in Morocco on July 9. Despite contacting Portuguese, Spanish and British police, she has still not been formally interviewed and no statement has been taken. Portuguese police admitted last week that they were still waiting for footage from the CCTV camera at the petrol station.

A McCann family source said: "We had got the impression that they had sat down with her and gone through her statement in detail, which is not the case. The Portuguese police have complained about the lack of co-operation from the Moroccan authorities. None of it fills you with confidence."

Madeleine's family reacted with disbelief to the claims against Mr Amaral. The missing girl's aunt Philomena said: "Just about every country in the world is watching this. What do you think the (Portuguese) Government would do? Would they have some kind of rogue policeman there? I doubt it. I find it highly unlikely. No way would they have him on such a high-profile case."
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Madeleine case detective accused of beating suspect


Madeleine case detective accused of beating suspect
The Daily Telegraph 
11 June 2007 
Richard Edwards and Fiona Govan


A senior detective investigating the abduction of Madeleine McCann has been accused of beating a suspect in a separate missing child case, it emerged yesterday.

Goncalo Amaral, who has co-ordinated the Madeleine inquiry from police headquarters in Portimao, is among five officers charged over an alleged attack on Leonor Cipriano, the mother of a nine-year-old girl, Joana, who disappeared in the Algarve three years ago.

Cipriano, who was convicted of murdering her daughter, has alleged that she was beaten into a confession.

Portugal's Ministerio Publico (MP), or District Attorney, this weekend charged five Judicial Police officers with "scenes of aggression'', omission of evidence and falsification of documents.

Mr Amaral, who is in his late forties, denies the claims and has not been suspended from working on the Madeleine investigation.

Gerry and Kate McCann were told of the development by the Foreign Office yesterday as they prepared to travel to Morocco to publicise their daughter's plight. A family spokesman said: "They do not remember meeting Goncalo Amaral face to face but naturally they were concerned to hear of the charges.''

Prior to Madeleine's abduction, Joana was Portugal's most high-profile missing child. She went missing from Figueira, seven miles from Praia da Luz, in September 2004. Her body was never found.

Cipriano lodged a formal complaint about her treatment, which was followed up by the MP. It alleged that she was punched and kicked during questioning, and was not given access to a lawyer. She claimed she was left with bruises all over her face and body.

Police sources said Mr Amaral was "very angry'' about the allegations and was considering taking action against the MP.

"He is very professional and has had a lot of success in solving cases,'' the source said.

"He is very upset because reporters never speak of these successes.''
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Madeleine officer accused of assault


Madeleine officer accused of assault
Liverpool Daily Post
11 June 2007
Caroline Gammell, Daily Post Correspondent



Police charged over alleged attack on mother who killed daughter

A SENIOR Portuguese police officer working on the Madeleine McCann case has been charged over an attack on the mother of another missing girl, it was revealed yesterday.

Goncalo Amaral, co-ordinator of the Policia Judiciara in Portimao, Algarve, is one of five men accused of "scenes of aggression" against Leonor Cipriano, whose nine-year-old daughter, Joana, disappeared in September, 2004.

The little girl's body has never been found but Cipriano and her brother, Joao, were convicted of her murder.

She went missing from her home in Figueira, not far from where four-year-old Madeleine was abducted in Praia da Luz 38 days ago.

The alleged attack on Cipriano occurred when she was questioned over Joana's apparent abduction.

It is claimed the suspect was left with bruises all over her face and body, according to local newspaper Jornal de Noticias.

The Ministerio Publico (MP), or District Attorney, charged three PJ officers with torture, a fourth with omission of evidence and a fifth with falsification of documents.

The MP did not reveal who had been charged with what offence.

Police sources said Mr Amaral was "very angry" about the allegations and was considering taking action against the MP.

"He is very professional and has had a lot of success in solving cases," the source said.

"He is very upset because reporters never speak of these successes."

Mr Amaral was charged in the Algarve, while the other four were charged in Lisbon.

It is alleged that the beating took place as Cipriano was questioned without a lawyer, according to the Portuguese Expresso newspaper.

She lodged a formal complaint about her treatment which was followed up by the MP.

Despite the charges, Mr Amaral, who is in his late 40s, is not thought to have been suspended from work.

A spokesman for Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry said the couple had been made aware of the allegations.

Hopes of a breakthrough in the hunt for the four-year-old were dashed when a potentially significant phone call received earlier in the week was dismissed as a hoax.

The call to Spanish police, received from an Argentinian pay as you go mobile phone, claimed to know where Madeleine was.

It was deemed so significant Mr and Mrs McCann suspended their search of Europe to investigate its authenticity.

They delayed flying from Berlin to Amsterdam by three hours and even considered going back to the UK to speak to specialists about the caller.

But he was dismissed as a professional thief from Cordoba in Argentina. It emerged that he had asked the couple for EURlm (£500,000) for the information.

A source close to the family said: "He was dismissed as a conman who was just trying it on basically. They delayed their flight for that."

With no new breakthrough, Mr and Mrs McCann embarked on the last of their visits to other countries to raise the profile of Madeleine's case.

They will travel to the Moroccan capital of Rabat for meetings and a news conference to appeal for information.

The north African country has repeatedly surfaced in the hunt for their daughter, with a sighting of a young girl at a petrol station in Marrakesh. Mari Pollard said she saw a small blonde girl on May 9, six days after Madeleine was taken, with a man who did not look like her father, asking to see her mother.

Mrs Pollard, a Norwegian who lives in Spain with her English husband Ray said the Spanish, Portuguese and British police were not initially interested in what she had seen.

She said she gave a description to police but has yet to be interviewed face to face.

She saw the little girl as she returned from a holiday in Marrakesh.

Morocco is just 35 minutes from Spain by ferry and Mrs McCann, 38, was particularly keen to go there. She said she felt its proximity to Spain and Portugal made it an important place to visit.

Mr McCann, 39, said he was finding it increasingly hard to control his feelings: "In the first few weeks when I slipped into dark moments of despair I was finding it quite easy to emotionally switch a light back on, but I've been finding it increasingly difficult to do.

"More importantly, I don't want to do that anymore. I want to be able to grieve and let those emotions out."

He said they felt they had covered the main countries where appeals might help but now it was time for a break.

"We'll still meet with the Portuguese police as we have done fairly regularly and with the British police. But it is definitely going to be a period of reflection."

The couple plan to stay in the Algarve at least until the end of the summer or Madeleine is found.

They are expected to move out of the Mark Warner Ocean Club resort next week to more permanent housing.

The apartment where Madeleine was abducted has been cleaned for the first time since she was taken and the police cordons removed.
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Detective in McCann case is charged with assault


Detective in McCann case is charged with assault
The Independent

11 June 2007
Thair Shaikh

A senior detective coordinating the hunt for the abductor of the missing four-year-old Madeleine McCann has been charged with criminal offences over another missing child case.

Goncalo Amaral and four other Portuguese police officers were charged over the weekend with offences related to the beating and questioning of the mother of a missing girl.

Mr Amaral and the other four officers were accused of “scenes of aggression” against Leonor Cipriano, whose nine-year-old daughter, Joana, disappeared in September 2004 from her home in Figueira, a village seven miles from where Madeleine went missing.

The girl has not been seen since her disappearance but her mother and uncle Joao were convicted of murdering and dismembering Joana when she found them in an incestuous relationship.

The alleged attack on Cipriano occurred when she was questioned over Joana’s apparent abduction. She lodged a formal complaint about her treatment which was followed up by the Ministerio Publico, the district attorney. The suspect was left badly bruised, according to newspaper reports.

The attorney charged three officers with torture, a fourth with omission of evidence and a fifth with falsification of documents.

Mr Amaral, the coordinator of the Policia Judiciara in Portimao, Algarve, has not been suspended from working on the Madeleine case, which started 39 days ago.

Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, were informed of the charges.

The couple arrived in Morocco last night on the final leg of their publicity campaign to find their daughter, before they pause to give themselves time to grieve. They will travel to the capital Rabat for a news conference to appeal for information.
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Police chief quizzed over torture of mother


Police chief quizzed over torture of mother
David Pilditch
11 June 2007
The Daily Express


Leonor Cipriano allegations
  • Five officers accused of torturing confession from Leonor Cipriano
    • Three officers accused of torturing Cipriano
    • One officer accused of failing to stop attack
    • One officer alleged to have falsified documents
    • attack allegedly occured in 2004
    • Goncalo Amaral one of the accused
    • Amaral insisted he was innocent of charges and was considering legal action against public prosecutor's office
    • The McCanns were aware of the allegations
    • police failed to seal off Cipriano house
    • Joana's body never found
    • Leonor Cipriano and her brother Joao were convicted of killing Joana and jailed for 16 years and 8 months
    • Leonor later lodged formal complaint claiming police beat her into confession during the interview
    • prison photos show bruises on her face and body
       
  • police trade union
    • claimed injuries caused when Cipriano fell downstairs
[Note: in May 2009, the three PJ officers were cleared of torture, but Amaral was convicted of falsifying documents and  Nunes Cardoso was convicted of falsifying evidence. Amaral has appealed the ruling. See: Joana Morais Blog:  Detectives Hired by the McCanns want to Frame Gonçalo Amaral ]

FULL TEXT
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Police in Maddie case face charge


Police in Maddie case face charge
Caroline Gammell
11 June 2007
Birmingham Post

A senior Portuguese police officer working on the Madeleine McCann case has been charged over an attack on the mother of another missing girl, it was revealed yesterday. Goncalo Amaral, co-ordinator of the Policia Judiciara in Portimao, Algarve, is one of five men accused of "scenes of aggression" against Leonor Cipriano, whose nine-year-old daughter, Joana, disappeared in September 2004.

The little girl's body has never been found but Cipriano and her brother, Joao, were charged and convicted of her murder. She went missing from Figueira, not far from where four-year-old Madeleine was abducted in Praia da Luz 38 days ago.

The alleged attack on Cipriano occurred when she was questioned over Joana's apparent abduction. It is claimed the suspect was left with bruises all over her face and body, according to local newspaper Jornal de Noticias.

The Ministerio Publico (MP), or District Attorney, charged three PJ officers with torture, a fourth with omission of evidence and a fifth with falsification of documents. The MP did not reveal who had been charged with what offence.

Police sources said Mr Amaral was "very angry" about the allegations and was considering taking action against the MP. "He is very professional and has has a lot of success in solving cases," the source said. "He is very upset because reporters never speak of these successes." Mr Amaral was charged in the Algarve, while the other four were charged in Lisbon. It is alleged that the beating took place as Cipriano was questioned without a lawyer, according to the Portuguese Expresso newspaper. She lodged a formal complaint about her treatment which was followed up by the MP. Despite the charges, Mr Amaral, who is in his late 40s, is not thought to have been suspended from work.

A spokesman for Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry said the couple had been made aware of the allegations.

Meanwhile, hopes of a breakthrough in the hunt for the four-year-old were dashed when a potentially significant phone call received earlier in the week was dismissed as a hoax. The call to Spanish police, received from an Argentinian pay as you go mobile phone, claimed to know where Madeleine was. It was deemed so significant Mr and Mrs McCann delayed flying from Berlin to Amsterdam and even considered going back to the UK to speak to specialists about the caller. But he was dismissed as a professional thief from Cordoba in Argentina. It emerged that he had asked the couple for one million US dollars (£500,000) for the information. With no new breakthrough, Mr and Mrs McCann embarked on the last of their visits to other countries to raise the profile of Madeleine's case. They travelled to the Moroccan capital of Rabat for a series of meetings and a news conference to appeal for information.
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North Africa hope


North Africa hope as Maddie's parents end their visits
11 June 2007
Birmingham Mail


Excerpt:
A senior Portuguese police officer working on Madeleine's case has been charged over an attack on the mother of another missing girl.

Goncalo Amaral, co-ordinator of the Policia Judiciara in Portimao, Algarve, is one of five men accused of "scenes of aggression" against Leonor Cipriano, whose nine-year-old daughter Joana disappeared in September 2004.

The little girl's body has never been found but Cipriano and her brother Joao were charged and convicted of her murder.
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New posters appeal


New posters appeal
Lucy Hagan in Tangier, Morocco
11 June 2007
The Sun

Maddie..the painful trail to Morocco

Excerpt:
Meanwhile a top cop in the Maddie hunt has been charged with beating the mother of another missing girl.

Portuguese police co-ordinator Goncalo Amaral is accused of torturing a confession from Leonor Cipriano -later convicted of murdering her daughter Joana, nine.

Amaral denies any wrongdoing.
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Chief Madeleine detective charged


Chief Madeleine detective charged over 'beating' of suspect in another missing girl case
Sam Greenhill
11 June 2007
Daily Mail


Cipriao Case
  • Leonor Cipriano allegations
    • five officers accused of beating her up during interview
      • three accused of torture
      • one accused of omission of evidence
      • one accused of falsification of documents
      • Goncalo Amaral allegedly one of the accused
      • Goncalo Amaral considering action against Ministerio Publico
      • According to source, Amaral very professional and had a lot of success solving cases
    • Jornal de Noticias claimed Leonor was questioned without a lawyer and left with bruises over face and body
    • lodged formal complaint - *never found* (???)
    • Ministerio Publico followed up complaint
        
  • Joana Cipriano murder
    • Joana 9 years old
    • Disappeared Sept 2004 from home in Figueira (7 miles from PdL)
    • Leonor Cipriano convicted of murder along with her brother Joao Cipriano
    • [Note article does not mention incestuous relationship between Leonor and Joao, the fact that Joana's body was chopped into pieces, etc.]

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Madeleine's parents' hunt takes them to Morocco


Madeleine's parents' hunt takes them to Morocco
10 June 2007
07:46 PM
Press Association National Newswire
By Caroline Gammell, PA Chief Reporter in Casablanca


Armed with appeal posters written in Arabic, Kate and Gerry McCann are taking their search for Madeleine to north Africa today in the last of a series of visits designed to help find their daughter.

The couple flew from Lisbon to Casablanca last night before travelling on to the Moroccan capital of Rabat.

Morocco has repeatedly surfaced in the hunt for their four-year-old daughter, with reported sightings and apparent mobile telephone links.

The McCanns will spend two days in Rabat, meeting child abuse and molestation groups as well as holding their now routine press conference.

It is 39 days since Madeleine was snatched from her bed in the Algarve resort town of Praia da Luz.

The couple have said this trip is the last they will do in their attempts to find their daughter but are determined to stay in Portugal until she is found.

Mrs McCann, 38, was particularly keen to go to Morocco because of its proximity to Spain and Portugal.

It is just 35 minutes from Spain by ferry and they run several times a day.

Mr McCann, 39, said the borders of Portugal were not closed for at least 12 hours after Madeleine was abducted, making it very possible that she was smuggled out of the country.

A sighting at a petrol station in Marrakesh six days after she disappeared is one of the leads that the McCanns want to make sure is being followed up.

Mari Pollard, a Norwegian woman living in Spain who was on holiday in Morocco, said she saw a small blonde girl on May 9 with a man who did not look like her father.

The little girl, looking sad and apparently dressed in pale blue pyjamas, turned to the man and said 'can I see mummy soon?'.

Mrs Pollard said initially the Spanish, Portuguese and British authorities were not interested in what she had seen and she has yet to meet any investigating officers face to face.

While in the north African country, the McCanns will meet representatives from the Moroccan League for the Protection of Children and Touche Pas Mon Enfants, or Do Not Touch My Children.

They are also hoping to meet the Interior Minister and the Moroccan Commissioner of Police.

Yesterday it emerged that a senior Portuguese police officer working on Madeleine's case has been charged over an attack on the mother of another missing girl.

Goncalo Amaral, co-ordinator of the Policia Judiciara in Portimao, Algarve, is one of five men accused of 'scenes of aggression'' against Leonor Cipriano, whose nine-year-old daughter Joana disappeared in September 2004.

The little girl's body has never been found but Cipriano and her brother Joao were charged and convicted of her murder.

She went missing from her home in Figueira, not far from where Madeleine was abducted.

The alleged attack on Cipriano occurred when she was questioned over Joana's apparent abduction.

It is claimed the suspect was left with bruises all over her face and body, according to local newspaper Jornal de Noticias.

The Ministerio Publico (MP), or District Attorney, charged three PJ officers with torture, a fourth with omission of evidence and a fifth with falsification of documents.

The MP did not reveal who had been charged with what offence.

Police sources said Mr Amaral was 'very angry'' about the allegations and was considering taking action against the MP.

'He is very professional and has had a lot of success in solving cases,'' the source said.

'He is very upset because reporters never speak of these successes.''

It is alleged that the beating took place as Cipriano was questioned without a lawyer, according to the Portuguese Expresso newspaper.

She lodged a formal complaint about her treatment which was followed up by the MP.
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'I know where Madeleine is' call traced to Argentina


'I know where Madeleine is' call traced to Argentina
Daily Mail
09 June 2007


The hunt for abducted Madeleine McCann was linked to South America today for the first time. It is understood a mysterious call claiming to know the whereabouts of the four-year-old came from a mobile phone registered in Argentina.

The "credible" call was considered so potentially significant that the McCanns halted their search of Europe to help police investigate. They delayed their flight from Berlin to Amsterdam by three hours and plans were drawn up to divert to the UK It was thought the McCanns might need to return to Britain to talk to specialist advisers about the call.

The call from the pay-as-you-go phone came from a man who wanted to speak directly to the McCanns, according to Spanish police sources. He did not reveal his identity or nationality, but the phone was soon linked to the South American country. All efforts to re-establish contact with the caller failed on Wednesday and the couple carried on with their journey around Europe.

A British police source said: "The importance of this line of inquiry is still being assessed and attempts to re-establish contact are continuing."

Although Spanish officials denied they had received the call, a Guardia Civil source told the Portuguese paper Correio de Manha: "Only time will tell if this call gives help or not to the case."

Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported that a man matching the description released by Portuguese police two weeks ago was seen in a bar in Seville a week before Madeleine's abduction. It claimed the man was working on the instruction of others and told fellow drinkers he was going to the Algarve.

The latest development comes on the day Portuguese police were forced to defend their reputation amid allegations that they were enjoying boozy lunches while the search for Madeleine continued
. Armed police officers were also criticised by Madeleine's aunt for preventing her from putting up posters of the little girl at Lisbon Airport.

Senior police officers involved in the investigation were seen laughing and joking as images of the missing four-year-old and her desperate parents appeared on a restaurant TV screen. It happened at a lunch lasting nearly two hours as Kate and Gerry McCann were away campaigning in Europe. They laughed and cracked jokes as they enjoyed a meal washed down with wine and whisky - as footage of the couple played in the background. Afterwards, they left a table littered with empty glasses - and went back to work.

Yesterday Policia Judiciara (PJ) spokesman Olegario Sousa, one of the officers spotted having lunch, said it was up to the individual to decide what he or she ate and drank.

Asked if it was acceptable for police to drink alcohol in their lunch break he said: "I don't know, it is very, very sad but a person's free time is for lunch. That is normal to do.

"The persons are in charge in the day, they are working in the day but they must eat and drink - it is normal.

"I drink what I want to drink when I can drink."

When it was put to him that he had been seen drinking, he said: "Have you seen anyone drunk? Have you seen any action deterred by that?"

Mr Sousa and Goncalo Amaral, head of the regional PJ, were spotted as Kate and Gerry McCann travelled to Berlin and Amsterdam to appeal for more information about their missing daughter.

In Portimao, a town near where the four-year-old was snatched 35 days ago, a diner at fish restaurant Carvi said he recognised the police officials.

"I knew who they were because Mr Sousa has been all over the TV and in the papers," he said.

The diner watched as officers enjoyed the lunch, which took place a short walk from the police station less than 24 hours after Kate and Gerry McCann were told that everything possible was being done to find their little girl.

Then - in what looked like becoming the first arrest in this case after nearly five weeks, a photographer trying to take a picture of them emerging from the restaurant was detained, held for four hours, fingerprinted, interviewed, and had his camera confiscated. He has now been formally named as an 'Arguido' - the same status as the chief suspect in Madeleine's disappearance, Robert Murat.


A 'credible' caller claiming to know where Madeleine is gave enough detail for the McCanns to put a brief hold on their trip to Amsterdam

On Tuesday, two groups went to two separate restaurants. The bigger party did not begin to leave for an hour and three-quarters. The smaller party had a 50-euro meal of fish and wine and shared jokes between what appeared to be discussion about police business.

On Wednesday, the party included senior figures from police headquarters at Portimao, where the investigation is based. One of them was Ch Insp Olegario Sousa, the public face of the inquiry, who appears on TV at press conferences. Another was Goncalo Amaral, number three in the investigation and a well-known figure in major police operations.

At 12.50pm the two men strolled across a sun-drenched square to Carvi restaurant, a regular haunt that specialises in fresh seafood and lobster straight from the tank. Inside, they formed a table of four with two other officers.

The diner said: 'They asked for the Portuguese TV news to be switched on and sat at the table watching it. It must have been about 2pm. Madeleine's parents had given a press conference in Berlin and they came on the screen.'

At that Berlin conference, Gerry McCann had made it clear he was confident police were doing all they could to find Madeleine. During a live broadcast that morning he had said: 'We have had no doubts about the desire of the police to find Madeleine. We have witnessed their efforts first hand and they're working harder than Kate and I.'

The diner added: 'The police were laughing and joking among themselves while it was on. They seemed to be sharing some sort of joke. Whatever it was, I thought that laughing like that in public was in really poor taste.

'They had a bottle of chilled wine with the meal but they had a bottle of whisky on the table after the main course as well. I was pretty shocked to see they were drinking whisky at lunchtime. The bottle was passing between them for about half an hour.


'Someone on another table seemed to know them and joked about them having two-hour lunches and knocking back Johnnie Walker Black. He said they would get themselves in the papers.

'There was a guy in a red shirt holding court about Portuguese law. They were discussing a change in the law being planned for Arguidos.' (Portuguese for suspect).

Two of the party left, then Ch Insp Sousa left on his own, leaving a colleague behind.

'I got the impression they went there regularly - they were very friendly with the waiter. I don't know what time they came in but I was there for a good 90 minutes and when I left, one of them was still slumped back in his chair in the corner with the whisky bottle in front of him. He was a big sweaty guy and he was sagging into the chair. The table was littered with empty glasses.

'There was some sort of commotion and I heard someone shout out. They swore and said something about the 'Paparazzi Ingles' (English Paparazzi) hiding behind the door.'

One officer had insisted privately the Madeleine officers had been working 'punishing hours', sometimes sleeping overnight at the station in the early days of the inquiry.

Philomena McCann, Madeleine's aunt, said such behaviour would not be acceptable in the UK: "If it were detectives from Scotland Yard there would be absolute uproar.

"But we have to let them to get on with their work because that's all we have to rely on.

"It is a different country and we have to accept the way that they do things and that it is a different culture where they have lunches and siestas but we hope the work is made up at other times."

She then told how armed police officers stopped her putting up posters of the little girl at Lisbon airport.

She and another relative were travelling from the Algarve to the holy shrine at Fatima when they made a diversion to the airport.

Kate McCann had noticed there were no pictures up when she passed through on her way to Madrid.

"She was so upset to think there were so many tourists coming in and out and nothing there to remind people of Madeleine," said Ms McCann.

"She asked me to make a detour on the way. I was given permission to put the posters up by a woman on the information desk.

"But straightaway we were swooped on by two armed police officers. I was with a relative who was bodily manhandled by them.

"We went back to the information desk and there was a big row between the woman and the police."

Ms McCann said the director of the airport Dr Francisco Severino told them they could fax a request which would be considered.

"It would be fair to say we were unimpressed by their unhelpful attitude," she said. "We were very badly treated.

"It seemed clear they didn't want the negativity affecting tourism but I think they are doing the wrong thing.

"Surely if people think the police and the authorities are doing everything they can to find Madeleine other families visiting Portugal would feel more secure."

Ms McCann said she had asked junior Justice Minister Baroness Ashton to put pressure on to change their policy.

The McCanns are back in Portugal today ahead of a trip to Morocco, where there has been a reported sighting of Madeleine.

In Praia da Luz today, the couple watched as 1,000 yellow balloons calling for information about Madeleine were released into the air.

Meanwhile in Praia da Luz, the Algarve resort from which Madeleine vanished on May 3, police removed their 'do not cross' tape from the McCanns' holiday apartment and withdrew all police presence exceprt for one uniformed officer outside. Alipio Ribiero, national director of the Judicial Police, said: 'The Judicial Police are seriously investigating this case. It could take time but we continue in the Algarve, even if our presence is not noticed.'

The exhausted couple had their hopes dramatically raised that their daughter was still alive yesterday - only to see them dashed.

The couple's planned flight to Amsterdam on Wednesday night was held for three hours in Berlin after what appeared to be a crucial breakthrough.

They were told that a "credible call" had been received by Spanish police from a man suggesting he knew where Madeleine was and saying that he wanted to talk to the McCanns.

The call was reportedly traced to an unregistered pay-as-you-go phone outside Europe.

The caller did not disclose his identity, but the information supplied was apparently so specific that British police liaising with the Portuguese inquiry felt it necessary to tell the McCanns immediately.

The couple were advised that the mystery source might try to make contact, and that they should delay their flight in case he called when they were in the air.

As frantic efforts were made to re-establish contact with the caller the McCanns were whisked off the flight, waiting anxiously for nearly three hours at the British Embassy in Berlin. The man never called back.

Journalists on the plane were told that the crew had been asked to draw up a new flight plan involving a possible switch of destination from Amsterdam to East Midlands Airport, close to the McCanns' Leicestershire home.

But at 7.30pm the flight was cleared to continue to Amsterdam, where the McCanns pressed ahead with their European campaign to keep their daughter in the public mind.

Soon after they touched down, it appeared that the call was a hoax, or was no longer being treated with any urgency.

Spanish police categorically denied that they had received such a call, as did the Spanish Interior Ministry.

It was an illustration of the kind of distractions the McCanns are having to endure in their relentless search for information about Madeleine, who vanished more than a month ago during the family's holiday in Portugal.

Another followed soon afterwards when a Spanish newspaper quoted an "investigative journalist" claiming he knew the identity of Madeleine's abductor, and suggesting she had been stolen to order by a paedophile ring.

Last night, however, there was no indication that police were investigating the claim.

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-460533/I-know-Madeleine-traced-Argentina.html
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Cops booze shame


8 June 2007
The Sun
Lucy Hagan


Thr cop leading the Maddie hunt was blasted yesterday after he and two colleagues spent two hours boozing - at lunchtime.

Chief inspector Olegario Sousa downed wine and whisky with fellow Portuguese officers as a restaurant TV screened Maddie's anguished parents at a Berlin press conference.

A British snapper was ARRESTED after he spotted Wednesday's long lunch in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz, where Maddie vanished.

He was held at a police station for four hours and had his camera confiscated. An onlooker told how Sousa - who has appeared on TV fronting the inquiry - relaxed with officers including detective Goncalo Amaral.

The witness said: "When I left, one was still slumped in his chair." Asked whether it was acceptable for cops to drink wine and whisky at lunch, Sousa insisted yesterday: "It is my free time. What does it have to do with you what I drink or what I eat?

"I drink what I want to drink when I can drink. Have you seen anyone drunk? Have you seen any action deterred by that?"

The missing girl's aunt Philomena said: "If it were detectives from Scotland Yard there would be absolute uproar."
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Officers defend two-hour lunches


8 June 2007
The Times

David Brown

Senior officers involved in the search for Madeleine McCann have been seen regularly going out for two-hour lunches. As her parents completed 13 gruelling interviews and meetings with politicians in Berlin on Wednesday, two of the leading officers in the case were seen enjoying a leisurely lunch. Chief Inspector Olegario Sousa and Goncalo Amaral, the head of the regional Policia Judiciaria, joined two other men at a speciality fish restaurant called Carvi a few minutes' walk from police headquarters. A fellow diner said the men laughed and joked as the McCanns appeared on a television news broadcast.

"They asked for the Portuguese TV news to be switched on and sat watching it," he said. "Madeleine's parents had given a press conference in Berlin...The police were laughing among themselves while it was on. They seemed to be sharing some sort of in-joke. I thought that laughing like that in public was in really poor taste."

The party shared a bottle of white wine and there was what appeared to be a bottle of whisky on the table during the lunch, which lasted almost two hours. Such lunches are normal for workers in Portugal, but not for police officers, who work normal shift patterns.


Mr Sousa, the official spokesman for the investigation, defended the officers when asked if he thought it was acceptable for them to drink wine and whisky in their lunchtime while involved in such a major investigation.  "It is very, very sad but a person's free time is for lunch," he said.

"The persons are in charge in the day, they are working in the day but they must eat and drink, it is normal."  Asked if it was normal for police to drink whisky at lunchtime, he replied: "I don't have to answer that because the persons during lunchtime do what they want to do. It is free time. They are not working ."  When told that he had been seen drinking whisky and wine with colleagues, he replied: "I still say to you what I do in my free time is only responsible and in my interest. It is my lunchtime. What does it have to do with you what I drink or what I eat? Have you seen anyone drunk?"

Madeleine's family reacted with shock. Her grandmother, Eileen McCann, 67, said: "I'm not happy about that. My worries are for Kate and Gerry."  The missing girl's aunt, Philomena, said: "If it were detectives from Scotland Yard there would be absolute uproar. But we have to let them get on with their work because that's all we have to rely on."
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Madeleine officers defend their regular two-hour lunches


8 June 2007  
The Times
David Brown  and Thomas Catan
Police 'laughed at parents on TV news'
McCanns told of 'credible call' lead 

Senior officers involved in the search for Madeleine McCann have been seen regularly going out for two-hour lunches. As her parents completed 13 gruelling interviews and meetings with politicians in Berlin on Wednesday, two of the leading officers in the case were seen enjoying a leisurely lunch.

Chief Inspector Olegario Sousa and Goncalo Amaral, the head of the regional Policia Judiciaria, joined two other men at a speciality fish restaurant called Carvi a few minutes' walk from police headquarters.

A fellow diner said the men laughed and joked as the McCanns appeared on a television news broadcast.

"They asked for the Portuguese TV news to be switched on and sat at the table watching it," he said. "Madeleine's parents had given a press conference in Berlin ... The police were laughing and joking among themselves while it was on. They seemed to be sharing some sort of in-joke. I thought that laughing like that in public was in really poor taste."

The party shared a bottle of white wine and there was what appeared to be a bottle of whisky on the table during the lunch, which lasted almost two hours.

The fellow diner said: "Someone on another table seemed to know them and joked about them having two-hour lunches and knocking back Johnnie Walker Black (Label)."

Mr Sousa, the official spokesman for the investigation, defended the officers when asked if he thought it was acceptable for them to drink wine and whisky in their lunchtime while involved in such a major investigation.

"It is very, very sad but a person's free time is for lunch," he said. "The persons are in charge in the day, they are working in the day but they must eat and drink, it is normal. I drink what I want to drink when I can drink."

Asked whether it was normal for police to drink whisky at lunchtime, he replied: "I don't have to answer that because the persons during lunchtime do what they want to do. It is free time. They are not working at that time."

When told that he had been seen drinking whisky and wine with colleagues, he replied: "I still say to you what I do in my free time is only responsible and in my interest. It is my lunchtime. What does it have to do with you what I drink or what I eat? Have you seen anyone drunk? Have you seen any action deterred by that?"

Madeleine's family reacted with shock at news of the police's behaviour.

Her grandmother, Eileen McCann, 67, said: "I'm not happy about that. My worries are for Kate and Gerry."

The missing girl's aunt, Philomena, said: "If it were detectives from Scotland Yard there would be absolute uproar. But we have to let them get on with their work because that's all we have to rely on."

Police have told the parents that they have received a "credible call" from a man claiming to know what happened to their daughter after her abduction 36 days ago.

Kate and Gerry McCann were asked if they were prepared to speak to the man after he told police he wanted to talk to them.

The call, believed to have been made to police in Spain, was traced to an unregistered pay-as-you-go phone, apparently outside Europe. The couple waited for three hours in Berlin before flying to Amsterdam in case the man called, but detectives were unable to re-establish contact.
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Police go on bender


8 June 2007
Daily Star 

Portuguese detectives hunting Madeleine cracked jokes during a boozy lunch as her parents flew across Europe to try to find her.

Senior officers laughed as they knocked back wine and whisky as a news programme showed the McCanns in Berlin this week.

As the parents later headed to Amsterdam, the detective ranked No 3 - Insp Goncalo Amaral - sat slumped in a chair staring at a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky.

His colleague Chief Insp Olegario Sousa burst into a fit of laughter when fellow diners warned British journalists would be shocked.

A diner at backstreet seafood restaurant Carvi said:

"The police were laughing and joking among themselves while it was on TV.

"I thought laughing like that in public was in really poor taste.

"The whisky bottle passed between them for about half an hour."

   
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Cops booze Shame


8 June 2007
The Sun
Lucy Hagan 


The cop leading the Maddie hunt was blasted yesterday after he and two colleagues spent two hours boozing - at lunchtime. Chief inspector Olegario Sousa downed wine and whisky with fellow Portuguese officers as a restaurant TV screened Maddie's anguished parents at a Berlin press conference.  A British snapper was ARRESTED after he spotted Wednesday's long lunch in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz, where Maddie vanished.  He was held at a police station for four hours and had his camera confiscated.

An onlooker told how Sousa - who has appeared on TV fronting the inquiry - relaxed with officers including detective Goncalo Amaral. The witness said: "When I left, one was still slumped in his chair."

Asked whether it was acceptable for cops to drink wine and whisky at lunch, Sousa insisted yesterday: "It is my free time. What does it have to do with you what I drink or what I eat? "I drink what I want to drink when I can drink. Have you seen anyone drunk? Have you seen any action deterred by that?"

The missing girl's aunt Philomena said: "If it were detectives from Scotland Yard there would be absolute uproar."
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Maddy police defend long lunch break


8 June 2007
The Evening Standard
Ed Harris

Portuguese police working on the Madeleine McCann case defended their reputation today after they were seen enjoying a two-hour lunch.

Policia Judiciara spokesman Olegario Sousa and Goncalo Amaral, head of the regional force, were seen as Kate and Gerry McCann travelled to Berlin and Amsterdam to appeal for help to find their daughter.

In Portimao, a town near where the four-year-old was snatched on 3 May, a diner at fish restaurant Carvi said he recognised the police officials from TV.

'They asked for the Portuguese TV news to be switched on Madeleine's parents had given a press conference in Berlin and they came on the screen.'

The diner said they had what looked like a bottle of white wine and whisky on the table.

The McCanns praised the officers. Mr McCann said:

'They are working harder than Kate and I.'

Today Mr Sousa said it was up to the individual to decide what he or she ate and drank.

Meanwhile, doubts were growing about the authenticity of a phone call to police from a man claiming to know where Madeleine is.

  
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Madeleine police 'seen at two hour lunch'



Madeleine police 'seen at two hour lunch'
7 June 2007
Press Association
Caroline Gammell


Portuguese police working on the Madeleine McCann case have defended their reputation after they were seen enjoying a two hour lunch.

Policia Judiciara (PJ) spokesman Olegario Sousa and Goncalo Amaral, head of the regional PJ, were spotted as Kate and Gerry McCann travelled to Berlin and Amsterdam to appeal for more information about their missing daughter. In Portimao, a town near where the four-year-old was snatched 35 days ago, a diner at fish restaurant Carvi said he recognised the police officials.

'I knew who they were because Mr Sousa has been all over the TV and in the papers,'' he said.

'They asked for the Portuguese TV news to be switched on and sat at the table watching it. It must have been about 2pm. Madeleine's parents had given a press conference in Berlin and they came on the screen.''

The diner said they had what looked like a bottle of white wine and whisky on the table.

'After nearly two hours, two of the party left. Then Mr Sousa left on his own almost immediately afterwards.''

In Berlin, the McCanns said they had initially been frustrated by parts of the investigation but went on to praise efforts of Portuguese officers. Mr McCann said:

'We have no doubts of the desire of the Portuguese police to find Madeleine. 'We have witnessed their efforts first hand and they are working harder than Kate and I.''

Yesterday Mr Sousa said it was up to the individual to decide what he or she ate and drank. Asked if it was acceptable for police to drink alcohol in their lunch break he said:

'I don't know, it is very, very sad but a person's free time is for lunch. That is normal to do.

'The persons are in charge in the day, they are working in the day but they must eat and drink - it is normal.

'I drink what I want to drink when I can drink.''

When it was put to him that he had been seen drinking, he said:

'Have you seen anyone drunk? Have you seen any action deterred by that?''

Philomena McCann, Madeleine's aunt, said such behaviour would not be acceptable in the UK:

'If it were detectives from Scotland Yard there would be absolute uproar.

'But we have to let them to get on with their work because that's all we have to rely on.

'It is a different country and we have to accept the way that they do things and that it is a different culture where they have lunches and siestas but we hope the work is made up at other times.''


  
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Local family may have seen missing Maddy


6 June 2007 
Drogheda Independent
Angela McCormick

A DROGHEDA family may have been the last people to see abducted four-year-old Madeleine McCann in Portugal. The family is understood to have seen a child in the arms of a man on the night and at the time Madeleine was taken from her parents’ apartments in Praia Da Luz. They have reported the matter and recently gave statements to the Portuguese police.

The Portuguese police have asked the family not to speak to the press in case they compromise their investigations. The family declined to give any details to the Drogheda Independent. Portuguese police are convinced that the child, who vanished during a family holiday in the Algarve on May 3, was abducted. A number of Drogheda-based families holiday in the nearby Estrela Da Luz apartments, part ofa complex built by Drogheda man Gerry Fagan of Oceanico Developments. ‘Estrela Da Luz is just around the corner from Praia Da Luz. Loads of Drogheda people go there. It is an absolute paradise,’ said Jem O’Neill, a regular visitor.
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