Interview with Gonçalo Amaral.

Its been posted elsewhere so don't know if the translation is correct but I trust the poster.

Starts at 22 minutes.

http://www.rtp.pt/play/p1629/e180119/agora-nos/405316

Anchor – Today, our guest is Gonçalo Amaral who was on the news again yesterday because of the lawsuit that the McCann couple filed against him. Good morning, Gonçalo.

Gonçalo Amaral – Good morning.

Anchor – I read in your book that you wrote this book to defend your honour. The first question that I have for you is: Were you in any way attacked by the McCanns before the publication of the book, or even during the investigation? Were you with them, did you question them?

Gonçalo Amaral – That is a very good question. There was indeed a series of attacks, not just directed at me but at the investigation. Those attacks came not only from the parents’ side, but also from their support staff and from journalists, English and even Portuguese. That honour was not only personal but also professional. The investigation was at stake, an investigation that was never defended here in Portugal, namely by someone at the top of the Polícia Judiciária – and it’s me who defends those initial months of the investigation, and that is what the book was published for. That is one of the issues that are raised by the Lisbon Appeals Court, at the time of the injunction, which supports me, and establishes that it was licit for me to write the book.

Anchor – If you don’t mind, let’s return to the start of this story, the McCann case was the most media exposed ever, as far as the alleged abduction of a child, Madeleine McCann, is concerned. This book, “Maddie, A Verdade da Mentira”, that was written by you, why was it so controversial? What does it contain?

Gonçalo Amaral – What it contains is the conclusions of the process, of a report that exists, in September of 2007, which says that at that moment of the investigation, suspicion falls upon the [McCann] couple in terms of an accidental death inside the apartment, neglect in watching over their children that had been abandoned, and the concealment of a corpse. That is in the process and with this decision, which is not a final decision, it is merely a reply to the facts that were at stake during the trial, it agrees that this was in the process.

Anchor – The process is not concluded yet, it is still ongoing –

Gonçalo Amaral – It is still in the lower court, now there will be legal arguments, then there will be a verdict –

Anchor – We are at the stage of replies to the proved facts, is that it?

Gonçalo Amaral – Proved and not proved.

Anchor – Did you question them? Did you meet them?

Gonçalo Amaral – I met them but the questioning was performed by others, by inspectors. A coordinator does not question directly, that was done by the inspectors. But I met them.

Anchor – You accompanied this process from the beginning…

Gonçalo Amaral – I accompanied the process, the investigation from the 3rd of May of 2007 until I left the investigation on the 2nd of October of 2007. I accompanied it, participating in the investigation.

Anchor – And what happened yesterday? What was the accusation –

Gonçalo Amaral – There was no accusation yesterday. Not yesterday, the day before yesterday. What was done is – there is a decision from the magistrate, the judge, saying what is proved and what is not proved. That decision says that it is not proved that I caused the couple any damages, social or psychological or moral damages. So what was being questioned, it’s not the book that causes such damages; they were already destroyed before the book. That is important. It’s important because in this kind of process, what is at stake, contrary to what the couple said, that what was at stake was the investigation, whether they are guilty or not, none of that was being discussed there. What was at stake there was whether or not that book and that documentary could be made, if they were licit or not, if they caused the couple any damages, and whether or not it was possible to establish a causal nexus between the book and the damages. And the indications that are given lead me, and my lawyer, and people who have already read the document, to believe that there may be – there may be – a favourable verdict.

Anchor – There is a contradiction between the news that came out –

Gonçalo Amaral – There is no contradiction. There is complete manipulation of the media.

Anchor – Can you clarify that?

Gonçalo Amaral - Lusa agency, since all of this began, has been taking sides – I wouldn’t say as much as they have taken the side of the couple, but they have taken the side of the couple’s lawyer. So there have been completely false news about me. I remember an article that was published in 2009 or 2010, which mentioned I was going to be tried over torture in a certain case, that I had been accused of torture. I was in Spain at that time and I called, it was already 7 or 8 p.m. and I said “Excuse me, but this is not true. I am being accused of omitting a denunciation and making a false statement, not of torture”. And the reply that I got from the Lusa journalist was that it’s them that make the news, that it was not for me to meddle with their work and that is how it’s been –

Anchor – Even though they were talking about your life.

Gonçalo Amaral – That’s another thing that happened throughout all of these years, not only the five years of this process, but since 2007 they have been rummaging… I don’t know what else there may be.

Anchor – The fact is that concerning the McCann couple, the McCann couple was never formally tried. They were never accused. So in your book we have a contradiction with the law.

Gonçalo Amaral – What is the contradiction? I don’t accuse them. I am nobody, I’m not a magistrate, I’m not the case magistrate to write up an accusation –

Anchor – But you had knowledge, you were part of the investigation –

Gonçalo Amaral – I was a technician, I’m a technician, and like anyone else, I have the right to an opinion. And as a technician, based not only on my professionalism, but also on my knowledge as a technician, I have the right to have a technical opinion. And that book contains a technical opinion, based on facts that are in the process and that the judge says are in the process. Essentially, as is said, they are in the process. Therefore, saying that they were not accused… The process was – when I left there was already a movement to have the case archived. From the moment that they are made arguidos, everything moves to shelve the case. Interest was lost; the interest was to archive the case. And they succeeded in shelving the case. It was in the couple’s interest to have the case archived, and two things happen: The couple does nothing, and they could have done something when there was a shelving, to continue into the instruction [phase] to keep the process going, for the truth to be found. You see, the conclusions that we reached were the conclusions of an investigation. And an investigation, like someone said, is always a zigzagging of the moment. And we might even have reached the end of the investigation –

Anchor – In this case, this investigation was very traumatising, very disorganised…

Gonçalo Amaral – Disorganised, in what way?

Anchor - Because nothing was concluded, so many years later the child’s whereabouts haven’t been found.

Gonçalo Amaral – Because of interferences that took place, without interferences we would have gone further. Have no doubts about that. That is why the process was archived. When the shelving took place, the couple and another person were arguidos. Any one of them could have requested the opening of the instruction and continued the process. None of them did it, the couple because they didn’t want to, they didn’t want to do it, and the other person because he received compensation from the British courts, so he didn’t do it, he was very satisfied, and now it seems that he is an arguido again. This is what happens –

Anchor - We have to ask one last question. The truth is that the McCann couple – and this is a question and not a statement – demanded compensation worth 1.2 million euro from you because of the publication of the book “A Verdade da Mentira”. This book was very controversial because it was also a success. Many people read it –

Anchor – Many copies were sold.

Anchor – Exactly. Many people read it and created their own opinion. Do you think that in some way that opinion drew people away from the possibility of believing in that child’s parents?

Gonçalo Amaral – No, it didn’t, quite the opposite. The book, which was successful in a way that nobody expected – the contract with the editor was even made based on sales targets, 10 thousand books sold would mean a certain percentage and so on – therefore a very normal contract, nobody was thinking about bestsellers or anything like that. What the book brought was more publicity for the case. And people were not drawn away. There are many people who still defend the couple’s thesis. There are other people – those diverging opinions already existed before the book. They already existed practically before the book. What motivates the couple to file the lawsuit of 1.2 million euro may be the money. They have a firm, a firm where they are members of the board, called Madeleine Fund, which is to look for their daughter, but they are members of the board, it’s a firm, it’s not a social association, or social solidarity, it’s a firm, it’s registered in England as a firm. And what they always wanted was to destabilise me. When they went to Oprah’s programme in the United States, they said it, they wrote on their website that they hope that now nobody believes in that person anymore, for this and that –

Anchor – But Gonçalo, they had to defend themselves with the weapons at hand, if they think they are innocent…

Gonçalo Amaral – Indeed they do. I will give you one example. We speak about the book and we speak about the documentary. We forget another detail. In 2009, in January of 2009, I lived in the Algarve and was indicated to run for mayor of Olhão on behalf of the Social Democratic Party [PSD]. And that alerted that family, that situation of destabilising me, and Mr Gerald McCann came to Lisbon, there’s news from that time, he met with a top political official from PSD who has a French surname, with Dr Rogério Alves and with Dr Isabel Duarte – this is what is said, it’s what was published – and what happened then was that PSD gave me up as a candidate. This puts rights at stake, the rights of a citizen, the rights of a Portuguese citizen, and someone comes from the outside to do it. It’s the right to be elected. And this is when they start thinking about the lawsuit. It’s not about what is in the book, what is in the documentary, because what the book and the documentary contain is what is in the process. They contain technical opinions. And it’s the fear of that issue – when they come over here and put the right to be elected at stake, with the acquiescence of people inside PSD, that this happened.

Anchor – Thank you very much, Gonçalo. Our time is short but this is a subject that we would like to discuss in more depth. We will continue to follow this because the process is still in its early stages.

Gonçalo Amaral – There is no motive to get too excited, but it’s a good indication of what may be the decision.

Thanks so much caricature, absolutely fascinating reading.

So much in there and loads to discuss but....

It seems Murat is an arguido again.

Dee Coy wrote:Thanks so much caricature,  absolutely fascinating reading.

So much in there and loads to discuss but....

It seems Murat is an arguido again.

Yes I noticed the Murat bit,so it must follow surely that another two must be interviewed.

Thank you caricature for posting that.      I particularly like this....




And the indications that are given lead me, and my lawyer, and people who have already read the document, to believe that there may be – there may be – a favourable verdict.

Anchor – There is a contradiction between the news that came out –

Gonçalo Amaral – There is no contradiction. There is complete manipulation of the media.

That is it in a nutshell, Candyfloss.

That sums up the entire mess.


Note that he names names without hesitation, regarding political interference.

Wasn't there some one above Amaral who had him taken off the case who is now deceased,maybe some shackles have been released.

So, in summary :-

Socrates - "banged up abroad" as I believe the TV Show is called.
Brown - Run away.
Miliband D - Run away, but further, and faster.
McVey - Reached relative safety of Privy Council (might not mean much - I just had a look and there are literally hundreds of them - the Queen must need a LOT of advice).
Mitchell - Switched teams.

Anybody else?

Seicento wrote:So, in summary :-

Socrates - "banged up abroad" as I believe the TV Show is called.
Brown - Run away.
Miliband D - Run away, but further, and faster.
McVey - Reached relative safety of Privy Council (might not mean much - I just had a look and there are literally hundreds of them - the Queen must need a LOT of advice).
Mitchell - Switched teams.

Anybody else?

The new spokes man on the block, Gamble, is scrambling under attacks on the CEOP.

The Portuguese Justice Minister, Alberto Costa, in office when Amaral was removed from the case, died in 2009.

Bluddy nerve of GM travelling to Lisbon to meet with an official from GA`s political party (the PSD) to prevent GA standing for mayor of Olhao. What despicable people they are. They obviously had a campaign against GA. I hope the Judge is aware of this.

Dee Coy wrote:

Seicento wrote:So, in summary :-

Socrates - "banged up abroad" as I believe the TV Show is called.
Brown - Run away.
Miliband D - Run away, but further, and faster.
McVey - Reached relative safety of Privy Council (might not mean much - I just had a look and there are literally hundreds of them - the Queen must need a LOT of advice).
Mitchell - Switched teams.

Anybody else?

The new spokes man on the block, Gamble, is scrambling under attacks on the CEOP.

The Portuguese Justice Minister, Alberto Costa, in office when Amaral was removed from the case, died in 2009.

I'm sure there was another above Amaral who recently died of lung cancer,can't find it now.

Mimi wrote:Bluddy nerve of GM travelling to Lisbon to meet with an official from GA`s political party (the PSD) to prevent GA standing for mayor of Olhao. What despicable people they are.  They obviously had a campaign against GA.  I hope the Judge is aware of this.

Indeed. So that's why Gerry flew to Faro (close to Olhao) instead of flying straight to Lisbon where his meetings were.

More here on GA's candidacy:

http://www.mccannfiles.com/id131.html

And here about Gerry's 'surprise' two-day visit to Portugal on 13th January 2009:

http://www.mccannfiles.com/id107.html

What on earth gave GM the right, the confidence even, to put a stop to Dr Amaral's candidature.

They certainly wanted to destroy him completely didn't they.

It is a very deep rabbit hole here isn't it?    imo.


Gonçalo Amaral – Indeed they do. I will give you one example. We speak about the book and we speak about the documentary. We forget another detail. In 2009, in January of 2009, I lived in the Algarve and was indicated to run for mayor of Olhão on behalf of the Social Democratic Party [PSD]. And that alerted that family, that situation of destabilising me, and Mr Gerald McCann came to Lisbon, there’s news from that time, he met with a top political official from PSD who has a French surname, with Dr Rogério Alves and with Dr Isabel Duarte – this is what is said, it’s what was published – and what happened then was that PSD gave me up as a candidate. This puts rights at stake, the rights of a citizen, the rights of a Portuguese citizen, and someone comes from the outside to do it. It’s the right to be elected. And this is when they start thinking about the lawsuit. It’s not about what is in the book, what is in the documentary, because what the book and the documentary contain is what is in the process. They contain technical opinions. And it’s the fear of that issue – when they come over here and put the right to be elected at stake, with the acquiescence of people inside PSD, that this happened.



eta - Seahorse & mimi, sorry I crossed with your posts - I am just so slow to type.

Mimi wrote:Bluddy nerve of GM travelling to Lisbon to meet with an official from GA`s political party (the PSD) to prevent GA standing for mayor of Olhao. What despicable people they are.  They obviously had a campaign against GA.  I hope the Judge is aware of this.

Makes my blood boil too. Such suffering imposed on so many people merely to save their own scaly skins. Totally without conscience or morals.

My opinion, but my god how I'd love to see such injustice salved.

I really really can't stand Gerry sodding McCann.

quote:

Gonçalo Amaral – Because of interferences that took place, without interferences we would have gone further. Have no doubts about that. That is why the process was archived. When the shelving took place, the couple and another person were arguidos. Any one of them could have requested the opening of the instruction and continued the process. None of them did it, the couple because they didn’t want to, they didn’t want to do it, and the other person because he received compensation from the British courts, so he didn’t do it, he was very satisfied, and now it seems that he is an arguido again. This is what happens –
unquote

Would that be Malinka? I didn't think Murat was arguido again. Both  Malinka and Murat's girlfriend received compensation as well as Murat. Not strictly from the court but via the court I take it.

Yes, there seems to be no limit as to what TM managed to do. 2008/2009 it was still Labour in power. So possibly more political 'support'. I wonder if Socrates was still in office. Probably, that would explain the interference with a Portuguese political party.

I'm pretty sure that that power is gone now. But **&&^^%$$^&**!! dare they! The sort of deals done by very unsavoury people indeed.

Trying to put myself in their situation and state of mind, I gather that they felt threatened by the idea to be suing a respected mayor, instead of a "disgraced cop" and a "convicted perjuror" ...

I really hope Mr Amaral counter-sues the McCanns for defamation, etc.

I see this as the first shot across their bows, to warn them about the info he has on them, and what he's planning.

Tigger, I believe Malinka was made arguido last summer. But was he in 2007? Gonçalo seems to be referring to the original arguidos, that's why I assumed he meant Murat.

None of them did it, the couple because they didn’t want to, they didn’t want to do it, and the other person because he received compensation from the British courts, so he didn’t do it, he was very satisfied, and now it seems that he is an arguido again. This is what happens –

There was only one other at the time and he received a pay out from the brit press.

bluebell wrote:What on earth gave GM the right, the confidence even, to put a stop to Dr Amaral's candidature.

They certainly wanted to destroy him completely didn't they.

It is a very deep rabbit hole here isn't it?    imo.


.

Now, I begin to understand the smirk. And the confidence.

Very, very deep rabbit hole.

To paraphrase a certain gentleman,"the end of the beginning".

caricature wrote:

None of them did it, the couple because they didn’t want to, they didn’t want to do it, and the other person because he received compensation from the British courts, so he didn’t do it, he was very satisfied, and now it seems that he is an arguido again. This is what happens –

There was only one other at the time and he received a pay out from the brit press.

Yes, I overlooked the 'again' - however iirc it was Malinka who was made arguido last year. Wouldn't we have heard if it was Murat as well?

Interesting information is coming out now. Don't forget that Socrates was arrested as well, not directly to do with the McCann affair but!

The smirk has been absent for a while now though - worth looking at 2008/2009 and the time around the whisper in the ear for the political party.
Where were we then?

Tigger wrote:

Yes, I overlooked the 'again' - however iirc it was Malinka who was made arguido last year. Wouldn't we have heard if it was Murat as well?

I think its at a stage now where secrecy will be the order.

DCI Wall has said nothing.

The lovable Aunty Duarte is illuminated too.

What is she doing going to Party Socialiste meeting concerning the future candidature of Dr  Amaral ??

Is she she just acting as a lawyer, paid by the hour ? Or is she really a player ?

I wonder if it was this visit? Gerry on his own for the first time back in Portugal? Both of them went back in September that year in a blaze of publicity.
But this is more likely to have been the visit during which GA was further 'incapacitated'?

With thanks to McCannfiles.com :
Madeleine Father Portugal Return Sky News

Jan 14, 2009

Madeleine McCann's father Gerry has returned to Portugal to continue the search for his missing daughter. He said he and his wife Kate and their two other children would never give up the search for Madeleine.

(00:03:08)

*

Transcript:

By Nigel Moore

Gerry McCann: Ahhh, well... I came back today really to meet with our adviser's, errr... including Rogério, errr... Alves to really discuss what can still be done in the ongoing search for Madeleine.

Obviously we think there's a very, very good chance that Madeleine's still out there and can be found alive and well and, you know, obviously we wa... we want the search to go on really.

I think there's, errr... information goes to, you know, different sources of potential sightings, they go to, errm... the British police, they go to foreign police, some people call us and I would ho..., you know, like any parent of a missing child, if information came through, all you would hope is that that information is followed up. If any information comes to us then clearly we... we follow it up and alert the authorities, errr... where appropriate.

I won't talk about any, errr... any specific detail, to be honest, I think there's been far too much detail of the investigation in the media but, errr... you know, what we're really here to discuss is, errr... how we can work with the authorities to explore areas where other things can still be done that... that might make a difference and I think, errr... you know, this is the first visit that I'm here in, errr... Portugal but I expect it will be the first of, you know, several over the next few months.

Q: Do you plan to cooperate with the Portuguese authorities?

GM: Of course.

Q: Do you, errr... maintain contact with them, with the Portuguese police, for instance?

GM: Well, I think that the way, errr... we do that, certainly within the Portuguese system, is to do it through our... our lawyers. Errr... We've obviously had a meeting with the, errr... officials from the British Foreign Office today and we've had ongoing contact with, errr... you know, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, errr... since, you know, we're British and this occurred in Portugal and we've had, errr... ongoing contact with the... the British authorities as well, so, of course, we'll, you know, we'll do everything that we can to work with the authorities and that's what we very much want to emphasise, we want to work with the authorities as much as possible... in the ongoing search.

Q: Are you going... are you going to meet with, errr... Portuguese authorities...

GM: Uhhh, we haven't...

Q: ... this time?

GM: ... we haven't got anything specific planned at this point. This is very much my, errr... you know, the first visit over here and just to look and... and to try and get a scoping, errr... of what we can still do... really.

Q: Do... do you plan to... to take any legal actions, errr... against, errr... Portuguese authorities or Portuguese... any Portuguese media, for instance?

Unquote