New investigation sees ex-cop and Maddie author arrested for armed robbery

New investigation sees ex-cop and Maddie author arrested for armed robbery -


 See more at: http://portugalresident.com/new-investigation-sees-ex-cop-and-maddie-author-arrested-for-armed-robbery

This is former PJ inspector Paulo Pereira Cristóvão who wrote the book.

Posted by portugalpress on March 03, 2015


 New investigation sees ex-cop and Maddie author arrested for armed robbery

 News that former PJ inspector Paulo Pereira Cristóvão has been arrested for armed robbery - suspected of being part of a gang which raided people’s homes, posing as policemen in order to steal gold and valuables - has raised more questions than it answers.


 Cristóvão, author of the “Star of Madeleine” - a book into the three-year-old’s disappearance that urged readers to “think” - is a former president of the association of missing children.


He is also a former vice-president of Sporting Football Club - where in 2012 his name was dragged into the mud because of a case known as “Cardinal” in which Cristóvão was cited for seven crimes involving qualified fraud, money laundering, embezzlement, IT intrusion, “illegitimate access” and aggravated malicious accusation. Professing his innocence throughout, Cristóvão was finally given a suspended 15-month ban from sporting activity (October 2014) and fined €3,000. At the time, he told Público the decision had been “rushed” as there were civil actions awaiting hearing that could see the proof against him overturned.


Now, four months on, comes the new ‘bombshell’ that Cristóvão - who left the PJ shortly after Madeleine went missing to head the APCD, Portugal’s association for missing children - was allegedly involved in a 13-strong gang that raided the homes of wealthy people, purportedly gaining access by pretending to be policemen.


According to Público, Cristóvão - a firm friend of PJ inspector Gonçalo Amaral, whose own book on Madeleine’s disappearance sparked a €1.2 million defamation trial, lodged by the child’s parents - was responsible for marking out victims for the gang and “furnishing information”. Press reports say the 45-year-old was arrested in Lisbon this morning by the national anti-terrorism unit and that he is due to appear before super-judge Carlos Alexandre - the same judge in charge of the convoluted investigation into alleged dirty dealings of former prime minister José Sócrates. As Público continues, Cristóvão is under suspicion of having been involved in “armed robbery, kidnappings and criminal association” - in a number of assaults understood to have taken place in the Greater Lisbon/Setúbal areas. What is puzzling those who know his background is whether this latest arrest has anything to do with timing.


The decision on whether or not his long-term friend Amaral defamed Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry McCann in his book “The Truth of the Lie” is due any day now, after five years of legal to-ing and fro-ing - and the judge’s “reading of the proven facts” which showed strong likelihood that Amaral would not be found guilty of defamation, certainly not to any degree that could possibly require the paying of over a million euros in damages. Thus, for now, all eyes are on the upshot of Cristóvão’s interrogation tomorrow at the hands of super-judge Carlos Alexandre. -




See more at: http://portugalresident.com/new-investigation-sees-ex-cop-and-maddie-author-arrested-for-armed-robbery

Will be sharing a cell with Socrates then.

As the article says.

Interesting timing.

ETA - was he a lifelong friend of G.A or not as the case maybe...

I read this earlier, what I find hard to believe is he is a former President of the Portuguese association of missing children.
How strange is that.

costello wrote:I read this earlier, what I find hard to believe is he is a former President of the Portuguese association of missing children.
How strange is that.

Almost as bad as KM as an ambassador for missing people.

As said in the article, interesting timing. 

What is puzzling those who know his background is whether this latest arrest has anything to do with timing.

I'm not familiar with this man's book. Does anyone know what his theory was regarding Madeleine's disappearance?

One look at that face and it says `dodgy` to me.

Popcorn wrote:I'm not familiar with this man's book. Does anyone know what his theory was regarding Madeleine's disappearance?

I can`t remember it coming to a conclusion but I remember pages of thread over the way wondering why he said that the clue to her disappearance was 5231 or some number like that.

Popcorn wrote:I'm not familiar with this man's book. Does anyone know what his theory was regarding Madeleine's disappearance?

The book is very good and easy to read. Here's a link to Astro's translation (with grateful thanks to Astro):

http://themaddiecasefiles.com/topic11923.html

It's very similar in content to The Truth of the Lie. However, Cristovao admits it is a work of fiction and facts, with the truth hidden amongst the storyline. Perhaps this was an attempt to circumnavigate any libel accusations? I believe the 'characters' are based on the experiences of real people and I would imagine that the is a respectful and empathetic relationship between him and Goncalo.

I am disappointed and a bit disillusioned to hear of the alleged accusations, and like others have pointed out, find the timing extraordinary.

He wrote two books, "A estrela de Madeleine" and "A estrela de Joana". Oddly enough, he was never dragged through the courts by the McCanns.

Was the '5231' a deliberate ploy to send folk off on a tangent.

So some of these paid shills are now suggesting that Cristovao was actually Smithman all along I see.

Quoi?!!!

Sorry ... What?!!!

There was a few references to it on Twitter.

I also had a look in on that horrendous jatyk site and they were saying what a resemblance there is of him and the Smithman e-fit.

Loons the lot of them.

Andrew wrote:So some of these paid shills are now suggesting that Cristovao was actually Smithman all along I see.

Not the first time they have actually accused Goncalo Amaral of being the "abductor", neither. Quite mad, the whole bloody lot of them.

As I said over there, you should obviously steer clear of people that have affiliations with football teams that play in green and white.

There's a good reference here. http://www.verdebranco.net/English-football-rugby-shirts.html

Soham Town Rangers?

That is very good advice Seicento, which I can personally verify, as one of my ex husbands played for Buckie Thistle.

Resistor wrote:

Andrew wrote:So some of these paid shills are now suggesting that Cristovao was actually Smithman all along I see.

Not the first time they have actually accused Goncalo Amaral of being the "abductor", neither.  Quite mad, the whole bloody lot of them.

That must be why they've cancelled their "conspiracy-free day" tomorrow. After all, if there's no conspiracy, the police are just doing their job to the best of their ability and the cadaver and blood dogs alerting all over the flat in which the child stayed with her parents are doing so for a good reason.

What exactly has been cancelled...

What was all that yellow nonsense really about.

Popcorn wrote:

Resistor wrote:

Andrew wrote:So some of these paid shills are now suggesting that Cristovao was actually Smithman all along I see.

Not the first time they have actually accused Goncalo Amaral of being the "abductor", neither.  Quite mad, the whole bloody lot of them.

That must be why they've cancelled their "conspiracy-free day" tomorrow. After all, if there's no conspiracy, the police are just doing their job to the best of their ability and the cadaver and blood dogs alerting all over the flat in which the child stayed with her parents are doing so for a good reason.

Do we know their reason why it has been cancelled?

Hope For Madeleine @hopeforMM

It is with great regret that as a result of threats both direct and indirect we have to postpone our event #hopeformadeleine#mccann

The official version is because of 'threats'. However, it appears to be only a postponement.
The cynic in me wonders if this was destined to coincide with a certain verdict, predicted by some to happen today. Perhaps this now also has another date?

What was the 'event' supposed to be?

I thought it was a plea from the shills to all play nicely on Kates birthday.

As I have posted on the actual mellow yellow topic, perhaps the thought of having a hate-free day was too much for the organisers.

Hard to see what this "day" was supposed to be, anyway. It didn't have a venue, clear purpose, or any media coverage - it just seemed to be a vague concept dreamed up by a McCann supporter on Twitter. And as others have observed, whatever your view on Madeleine's disappearance, it certainly isn't something anyone should be feeling "mellow" about.