BREAKING NEWS ON BBC - Madeleine McCann case: Police team cut to four

The most encouaging line in that announcement for me?

"Operation Grange is working to support the Portuguese investigation and this work continues."

The Portuguese investigation still exists!

Hellsbells wrote:the Express has some "inside info"

"It is believed they were concentrating on one main suspect, who died two years ago"

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/615298/Madeleine-McCann-missing-search-called-off-Scotland-Yard

So, a dead patsy. Somehow I don't think that will suffice.

I am not optimistic and question why a mc statement would be included in a MP statement. The met is not supporting the PJ investigation, they are quite separate from it and were assigned a handful of PJ to assist them (entirely unconnected with the reopened PJ investigation). This suggests spin from the met and indicates a whitewash as I have thought from the beginning. Too many top people would be embarrassed were truth to come out.

Regarding the dead suspect, the two years might not be accurate given that the writer hasn't managed to get Gerry's age or Madeleine's if alive correct.

I'll go for either Raymond Hewlett or the tractor man whose name escapes me at the moment.

dogs don't lie wrote:

Hellsbells wrote:the Express has some "inside info"

"It is believed they were concentrating on one main suspect, who died two years ago"

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/615298/Madeleine-McCann-missing-search-called-off-Scotland-Yard

Who could that have been? Anyone know?

The only ones I know of are Raymond Hewlett who died in 2010 and Euclides Monteiro who died in 2009 I think.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/madeleinemccann/10415464/Madeleine-McCann-suspect-may-have-died-in-tractor-accident.html

Yes, according to initioal reports it was the investigation into Euclides Monteiro that prompted the Portuguese re-opening of the their investigation. The re-opening was on 24 October 2013 - two years ago. Mr Monteiro died four years before that. Have the Express simply got their wires crossed?

Jellybot wrote:I am not optimistic and question why a mc statement would be included in a MP statement.  The met is not supporting the PJ investigation, they are quite separate from it and were assigned a handful of PJ to assist them (entirely unconnected with the reopened PJ investigation). This suggests spin from the met and indicates a whitewash as I have thought from the beginning. Too many top people would be embarrassed were truth to come out.

It went thru my mind that the fact it's still a live investigation, even if wittled down, could definitely be a good thing, as tho they may well have their eyes on you know who.

But I have to say, jellybot, that I found those words to be disingenuous, that the Met were 'supporting the PJ' - Is that what those all those flights, the dogs and the digs were about? Hardly! So they are spinning something again, just what, I'd love to know

But I just don't see how SY can get away with no end result, it would be a judical outrage, IMHO

Forgot to say, was it BHH that implied that 'you keep an investigation open as long as there is something to pursue'?

Maybe the police forces do think they are pursuing something worthy, not forgetting that DC was in Portugal recently. Isn't this all really being run from Downing St?

Ah ok, I thought it was me for a mo there! Thanks peeps x

mrjnh wrote:Forgot to say, was it BHH that implied that 'you keep an investigation open as long as there is something to pursue'?

Maybe the police forces do think they are pursuing something worthy, not forgetting that DC was in Portugal recently. Isn't this all really being run from Downing St?

Mcs to be sacrificed for the "greater good"?

I've been of the cynical opinion that OG continued so long because of the PJ re-opening in 2013, just after the CW programme brought Smithman into focus. Since then I've had metal images of members of the Met team with faces squashed against Portuguese windows as the PJ officers inside yank down the blinds in irritation. I've always wondered if the aim was to infiltrate the PJ investigation with a view to seeing what they've got. I'm always mindful of the re-examination of the DNA samples last year that the Met were desperate to fetch back to the UK rather than have analysed in European labs. We never did get an update on that - hopefully because of Portuguese secrecy.

So perhaps the huge amounts of information have been digested by the larger numbr of cops, and they still couldn't find a solution that would satisfy the remit. So the 4 that remain are to continue to shadow the PJ?

Or perhaps it has simply been realised that the public aren't going to take a whitewash lying down any more (look at those cpmments in the Sun in the last couple of days) and it's time to give the Mcs up?

Dunno, in a nutshell. Just my rambling thoughts, as ever.

http://news.met.police.uk/news/update-on-the-investigation-into-the-disappearance-of-madeleine-mccann-135459?utm_campaign=mm_email_notification&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sendgrid

Posted on Twitter using McCann hashtag! Wtf

Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, from the MPS said:
"This work has enabled us to better understand events in Praia da Luz the night Madeleine McCann went missing and ensure every possible measure is being taken to find out what happened to her.

I wonder what events were going on in Praia da Luz the night Madeleine went missing?

Dee Coy wrote:The most encouaging line in that announcement for me?

"Operation Grange is working to support the Portuguese investigation and this work continues."

The Portuguese investigation still exists!

My take too Dee Coy,I was trying to explain that up thread. Dr.Amaral has always said when the Political interference is resolved, then this case will be solved.With only four
members of Operation Grange assisting the PJ. I remain hopeful that Portugal are in
total control.Hence the reason for my optimism.

It would be interesting to know if the PJ are also scaling down their investigation.

Mimi wrote:It would be interesting to know if the PJ are also scaling down their investigation.

Mimi, the last I read on twitter from a reliable source was that the PJ have offered an ultimatum to Operation Grange they want a charge brought against someone within
six months or the case will be re-shelved. Again if this information is correct.

I don't quite understand that Costello. Why are the PJ demanding an arrest within 6 months if they are leading the investigation. Would it not be them who brought charges?

chirpyinsect wrote:

costello wrote:

Mimi wrote:It would be interesting to know if the PJ are also scaling down their investigation.

Mimi, the last I read on twitter from a reliable source was that the PJ have offered an ultimatum to Operation Grange they want a charge brought against someone within
six months or the case will be re-shelved. Again if this information is correct.

I don't quite understand that Costello. Why are the PJ demanding an arrest within 6 months if they are leading the investigation. Would it not be them who brought charges?

Thanks Costello.  Perhaps its an arrest that can only come under a UK jurisdiction. The fund ?? Alison Saunders visit ??

The only reason imo the fund could be possibly illegal is that its known that Madeleine is dead and they know where she is interned,I think its being wound down with a statement not to far in the distance along the lines of there is not enough evidence to bring charges in relation to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

chirpyinsect wrote:

costello wrote:

Mimi wrote:It would be interesting to know if the PJ are also scaling down their investigation.

Mimi, the last I read on twitter from a reliable source was that the PJ have offered an ultimatum to Operation Grange they want a charge brought against someone within
six months or the case will be re-shelved. Again if this information is correct.

I don't quite understand that Costello. Why are the PJ demanding an arrest within 6 months if they are leading the investigation. Would it not be them who brought charges?

This tweet related to the budget for Operation Grange which is set for the next six months. The reason supposedly being that Portugal have stated they want a conclusion to the case one way or another within that time span. Whether Operation Grange adhere to their requests who knows. The tweet inferred the PJ want a charge brought or they will shelve. This is why I am so surprised to hear today that the PJ are the leading investigators? Could just be a game of cat and mouse Chirpy, who knows.

Are the PJ telling OG its time to put up or shut up.If OG have any thing it has to convince a panel of judges in Portugal as opposed to a jury of beyond reasonable doubt the guilt of any one.

Here is the said tweet.
N.M@AdirenM
If you think the £2mx6 months is because MET is close to a resolution,forget it.
It's because PT law demands charge or shelve#mccann.

costello wrote:Here is the said tweet.
N.M@AdirenM
If you think the £2mx6 months is because MET is close to a resolution,forget it.
It's because PT law demands charge or shelve#mccann.

Yes, there is a time limit in Portugal for investigations (2 years??) If no charges brought in this time it must be shelved. It is not an ultimatum as such

Jellybot wrote:

costello wrote:Here is the said tweet.
N.M@AdirenM
If you think the £2mx6 months is because MET is close to a resolution,forget it.
It's because PT law demands charge or shelve#mccann.

Yes, there is a time limit in Portugal for investigations (2 years??) If no charges brought in this time it must be shelved. It is not an ultimatum as such

Thanks Jellypot, I was trying to remember the tweet which was on twitter last week, just managed to find it again.

Officers have investigated more than 60 persons of interest. A total of 650 sex offenders have also been considered as well as reports of 8,685 potential sightings of Madeleine around the world.

Try as they might they just can't find a patsy,they were and still are investigating an abduction as per the original remit,its there in black and white.

The problem now is how to extract themselves from the mess they've created whilst totally ignoring the dogs.

Walt wrote:

Officers have investigated more than 60 persons of interest. A total of 650 sex offenders have also been considered as well as reports of 8,685 potential sightings of Madeleine around the world.

Try as they might they just can't find a patsy,they were and still are investigating an abduction as per the original remit,its there in black and white.

I think so too, Walt. It's beyond comprehension, though, that they don't know really where they should be looking. So what's been the point of it all?