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A detective sergeant from Scotland Yard invokes "State immunity" and
obligation of secrecy on the investigations of the Maddie case to refuse
to testify tomorrow, Tuesday, at the beginning of the trial that opposes
the McCann couple to the former coordinator of the PJ, Gonçalo Amaral.
The hearing of witnesses tomorrow at the Civil Court of Lisbon, will be
limited to the elements that were requested by the former head of the
Judiciary Police of Portimão, most of which also collaborated in the
investigation to the English girl's disappearance. The case concerns the
order to withdraw from the market all the books "The Truth of the Lie",
on which is defended the thesis of Maddie's death and the parental
involvement in hiding the cadaver.
The English cop, incidentally with a Portuguese name (José de Freitas),
was the liaison officer between the Portuguese and English authorities
and the McCann couple. On several occasions he accompanied Kate and
Gerry, who would be constituted as arguidos, after being confronted with
evidence of human blood and cadaver odor in the apartment at the Ocean
Club in Praia da Luz, Lagos. The traces - remember - were detected by
the English dogs "Eddie" and "Keela".
As an usual standard in the procedures of the British, all the contacts
and signals expressed by the McCanns were registered, including those
that contributed to support the decision to constitute them as suspects.
And it's relating to that, and to other data, that Gonçalo Amaral seeks
a statement.
"Any potential evidence [testimonial] that I can give may be subject to
confidentiality and Immunity of the English Public Interest.
Furthermore, since all the services that I performed were official, it
is applied the principle of State immunity and it will be necessary the
consent of the United Kingdom authorities to waive that State immunity
before I could be subject to the jurisdiction of the Portuguese courts
and to be able to give any evidence, whether relevant or not. The State
immunity covering my official acts is that of the United Kingdom and not
mine, and can not be renounced by me, but only by the United Kingdom",
wrote José de Freitas to the judge of the Civil Court of Lisbon after
having been notified, in a letter that JN had access.
The police officer suggests that his witness statement should be instead
requested through a letter rogatory or through the British Ambassador
[Mr. Alexander Ellis] in Portugal. But subjected to a prior
authorization by the English authorities, who have just set a tight
regime of secrecy of the process in England. (read the next article )
in
Jornal de Notícias
related:
Madeleine police files under wraps |
