The British police “developed the current evidence against”
Madeleine McCann’s parents, according to a Lisbon US embassy cable
published by Wikileaks.
In the cable, the US ambassador Al Hoffman describes what his UK
counterpart, Alexander Ellis allegedly told him.
The cable reads: “Madeleine
McCann’s
disappearance in the south of Portugal in May 2007
has generated international media attention with controversy surrounding
the Portuguese-led police investigation and the actions of Madeleine’s
parents.”
“Without delving into the details of the case, [British Ambassador
Alexander] Ellis admitted that the British police had developed the
current evidence against the McCann parents, and he stressed that
authorities from both countries were working cooperatively.”
It
continues “He commented that the media frenzy was to be expected and was
acceptable as long as government officials keep their comments behind
closed doors.”
The meeting between Al Hoffman and Alexander Ellis, took place two weeks
after
Kate
and Gerry McCann were formally declared arguidos, or
suspects, by Portuguese police in the case of their daughter who went
missing from
Praia da
Luz
in May 2007.
The McCanns have said that there was “absolutely no evidence to
implicate them in Madeleine’s disappearance whatsoever.”
Wikileaks began publishing more than 250,000 leaked United States
embassy cables last month, the largest set of confidential documents
ever to be released into the public domain. The documents will give
people around the world an unprecedented insight into US Government
foreign activities.
The cables, which date from 1966 up until the end of February this year,
contain confidential communications between more than 270 embassies
across the world and the State Department in Washington DC.
Meanwhile, 39 year-old Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks was
granted bail at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on
Tuesday on the condition he provides sureties of £240,000 in cash.
Despite many high profile supporters, some of whom joined members of the
public outside the court this week to campaign for his release, he is
being forced to remain in Wandsworth Prison pending an appeal against
his bail by the Swedish authorities. The appeal was due to be heard at
the High Court on Thursday.
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