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“I suspect that my books were destroyed”
The new source of conflict between the former Judiciary Police inspector
and the McCann couple revolves around the devolution of the book written
by Amaral. The courts annulled the injunction pending over the work, and
now, the former inspector claims back his 7500 copies of “Maddie – The
Truth of the Lie” whose trustee is the legal representative of the
McCanns in Portugal.
by Carlos Saraiva [Director of “O Crime”]
“O Crime” – The Court of Appeals has decreed the book copies (Maddie
–The Truth of the Lie) that were apprehended should be returned to you.
Do you already have them in your possession?
Goncalo Amaral - The Lisbon Court of Appeals has decreed that my book
and my opinions did not violate the privacy rights of the McCann couple,
the parents of the missing child, wherefore the injunction was
peremptorily refused.
Did the judicial ruling transited in rem judicatam [become a matter of
record/final]?
The decision of the Court of Appeals did not allow a recourse. Even so,
the distinguished lawyer [Isabel Duarte] of the couple managed to delay
the transit of the judicial ruling, which occurred in November 2011,
following a decision contrary to the McCanns issued by the Supreme Court
of Lisbon. They have been selling a “pig in a poke” and I am beginning
to doubt the McCanns are aware of the decisions of the Portuguese
courts. Perhaps they continue to pay without knowing the outcome.
Why weren’t they returned yet?
I doubt the books still exist. In fact, it should be recalled the
McCanns’ lawyer has always affirmed that those books would never be put
on sales again. Exactly from where does that sureness come… I have no
idea. I only know that lawyer and her clients do not abide by the
decisions of the Portuguese courts, which can be a clear indication of
their character, or, at least, of their behaviour within the Portuguese
legal system. Allow me to remind you that, due to my suspicions that
those books were destroyed, I have denounced the situation to the Public
Ministry [Attorney General's Office]; currently taking place at the DIAP
[Department of Investigation and Penal Action] of Lisbon is a criminal
process for improper clearance or destruction of objects placed under
the public domain (Article 3551 of the Penal Code), abstractly
punishable by at least a sentence of up to five years in prison, where
the suspects are the McCann couple and their illustrious lawyer.
Of how many copies are we talking about?
In question, approximately 7 500 book copies.
When they are returned, will you re-market them again?
Those books or a new re-print should be already on sale. The book
publishers “Guerra e Paz” will know more about that issue.
At what stage is the civil proceeding the McCanns have against you?
We are at a pre-trial hearing stage. Presently, my new lawyer has been
“touching” in a process that was halted and that has stirred some panic
in the opposing side.
One of the strongest arguments of the accusation alleges that Goncalo
Amaral became enriched with the book's author rights. What is your
reaction to this claim?
If someone wants to talk about “enrichment”, they should think firstly
in the parents of the missing child, in their family, in their support
“staff” and in their illustrious lawyer. In the latter case, it would be
important for the aforementioned lawyer to state how much has she earned
and what are her prospects regarding future gains, not to mention the
other lawyers, the private detective agencies and PR companies [all
seemingly hired by the McCanns' private company].
Do you have any expectations as to the result of this lawsuit?
The only expectation that I have is that we are going to win the action,
since there are no facts or material facts to support the claim. The
action of the McCanns is inept. It is this that causes a great
despondency in the illustrious lawyer, who felt the need to proceed with
a campaign of disinformation and slander against me. She should not
forget what she has been saying, because she will answer for that in
court2.
As you well know, the Prime Minister David Cameron, has ordered a
re-evaluation of the investigation in England regarding Maddie’s
disappearance. How do you assess that decision, admitting that the
English will hardly have access to the investigation in Portugal?
The decision of that Prime Minister has been twisted. The McCann couple
has spoken of a re-examination of the child’s “sightings”. When, in
fact, what is known is that Scotland Yard, who were appointed to
re-evaluate the whole investigation, has set aside the pseudo-sightings,
focusing instead on the investigation process that remains archived.
Elements from the Scotland Yard have been working with an investigative
[Judiciary Police] team from Oporto (Oporto because Algarve and Lisbon
have already been involved), and what is known is that the “affair” is
not going well for the McCanns.
The Maddie case, one can say (it’s not a secret) that, it disrupted your
career in the Judiciary Police. What sorrows do you have concerning
that?
I do not agree with that! The “Maddie” case happened at a stage of my
life when I was already tired of saying “yes”. Just and only that.
Where you naïve?
Not at all. I left the Judiciary Police by my own initiative and with my
head held high, I worked in there for almost thirty years and I had a
successful career with an immaculate track record. Let the detractors
attempt to denigrate my career, because, we will soon talk.
So far, the clues gathered by the private detectives that are searching
for the child, even the ones that become mediatic, were revealed as
useless, and have probably caused more confusion in the case. What is
your opinion?
The private detectives, in general, were more concerned in creating
false stories about the Portuguese investigators [Judiciary Police
officers] in charge of the case, or in creating bogus sightings. The
McCann couple should have the courage to disclose all the reports
spawned by those sleuths and then we would understand what has been the
purpose of the fund that was created to find the child. That should be
very interesting. In fact, let me remind you of the performance of the
[Spanish] detective agency “Método 3”. Those men have fabricated several
sightings. At some stage, around Christmas of 2007, they went as far as
to say the child would be home by that same Christmas. Also around that
time they have attempted to create a link between the Madeleine case and
another case [Joana Cipriano]. They actually went on to “contact” a
lawyer/psychic to make that connection. Such character [Marcos Aragao
Correia] was in fact the first to affirm publicly that Madeleine was
dead – a statement which triggered considerable media attention.
Subsequently, he went on to search for the [child’s] body in the dams of
Algarve.
Today one may, or may not, be bewildered to know that the very same
illustrious lawyer who is defending this gentleman in an action that I
have made against him for qualified defamation [180º to 184º of the
Penal Code], a crime for which he is on trial at the Court of Faro, is
the very same lawyer of the McCanns.
Let us stop here and reflect a little. Let us recall what the McCanns
have stated when I expressed my opinion which implied the child was dead
- that I was, according to them, undermining the searches to find her.
Now, I will ask you or any other citizen for that matter, this: What
could be the reason for the McCanns’ lawyer to defend a person that
manifests the idea - an idea which he has expressed publicly - that
Madeleine is dead? Furthermore, what was the motive for “Método 3” to
contact the lawyer/psychic? Surely, that was not done with the intent to
find the child alive.
Do you still believe if one day we will know what happened, beyond a
shadow of a doubt, that is?
One day, someone will find a solution that is both, politically and
diplomatically correct.
in O Crime, March 1, 2012 | Nº1544, pages 12/13, paper edition only | In
Portuguese at
Maria's blog, obrigada.
[Thank you
note: To M. for the precious contribution in the translation] |
