Madeleine McCann: Alipio Ribeiro’s Thinks, Clarence Mitchell Knows And A Birthday
MADDYWATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann
DAILY STAR ON SUNDAY: “MADDIE COPS SAYS SORRY – Police ‘too quick’ “to blame parents”
“A top policeman has sensationally admitted that making Gerry and Kate McCann suspects over their daughter Maddie’s disappearance was too ‘hasty’. Alipio Ribeiro, boss of the Portuguese department in charge of the investigation, dropped his bombshell in a radio interview”
Says Clarence Mitchell, the McCanns spokesman: “Now that the national director of the Policia Judiciaria apparently acknowledges that they should never have been made arguidos, it follows there is no case for them to answer.”
SUNDAY EXPRESS: “POLICE ‘TOO HASTY’ OVER MCCANNS”
“As the couple bravely celebrated the third birthday of their twins, Sean and Amelie, one of Portugal’s most senior detectives admitted that making them suspects had been a “hasty” mistake”
Did Mr Alipio Ribeiro say “mistake” in his radio interview?
Says the paper: “The couple, both 39, said the official’s comments were tantamount to an admission that Portuguese detectives had bungled by centring their investigation on them.”
Says Mr Ribeiro to Portugal’s Radio Renascenca, owned by the Catholic Church:
“At this moment in time and speaking with the experience I have of Portugal’s Public Prosecution Service and the constitution of arguidos, I think there perhaps should have been another assessment before the McCanns were made official suspects.
“I don’t have any doubt about that. The national director of the Policia Judiciaria doesn’t give out orders on the constitution of arguidos but there was a certain hastiness”
Says the paper: “Last night Ribeiro was under growing pressure to stand down as national director of their country’s Policia Judiciaria”. Pressure from, whom?
MAIL ON SUNDAY: “”Police chief: We were too quick to make Gerry and Kate ‘arguidos’”
Says the Mail: “Kate and Gerry McCann’s bid to clear their names over the disappearance of their daughter Madeleine has been given a massive boost after the head of Portugal’s police admitted it had been a mistake to rush into making them official suspects”
Mr McCann says: “We need a breakthrough and this looks like it could be one. It is fantastic news. We still have a long way to go but people in Portugal need to understand what has been happening and what we have been going through. We know it will take the police a long time to accept what has been happening is wrong but it is an important step towards that”
Says the McCanns’ lawyer in Portugal, Carlos Pinto de Abreu: “Many people who may have vital information have possibly not come forward as they wrongly suspected the McCanns”
What about that huge reward, and doing the right thing? People may be deterred from coming forward for fear of being named in the media and questioned by Metodo 3, the McCann’s private investigators. But let us not speculate
SUNDAY PEOPLE: “MADDIE U-TURN - EXCLUSIVE Cops admit mistake on twins’ birthday”
“Kate and Gerry McCann threw a birthday bash for their twins yesterday - as a top cop admitted it was WRONG to name them as suspects over missing Maddie”
Well, Policia Judiciaria “boss” Alipio Ribeiro, said the police acted too hasilty. “Ribeiro last night faced calls to resign over the astonishing U-turn” – although from whom, the paper does not bother to say
Say the McCanns: “The support we have had from around the world has been amazing. It’s helped maintain our strength and hope and this has helped the search for our precious Madeleine. We believe there is a very good chance she is still alive. She deserves the love and security of her family. She needs to be back home with her mummy and daddy, brother and sister”
THE GUARDIAN: “Police chief says ‘we were too hasty’ in naming McCanns as suspects”
“In an interview to be aired on Portuguese radio today, Alípio Ribeiro, the national director of the Polícia Judiciária, will concede that police may have acted too soon in making Kate and Gerry McCann formal suspects, known in Portugal as arguidos. His comments were interpreted last night by the McCanns as a tacit admission that the police were wrong to name them as being involved in the disappearance of their four-year-old daughter”
February 3rd, 2008 at 7:46 am
First????
February 3rd, 2008 at 7:47 am
Haha - after FOUR months, I finally managed it (thank heavens for time differences and Sunday morning lie-ins)
February 3rd, 2008 at 7:50 am
Would be interesting to find out exactly WHO translated Mr Ribeiro’s interview! Wonder how accurately the translation was done, and if a few words have not been misinterpreted??
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:15 am
Morning Julie,
What is the weather like in your neck of the woods.
Yesterday in the Western Cape it was boiling and today the strangest most unseasonal weather is blowing in.
I don’t honestly believe that Alipio Ribeiro would trash so many month of hard work by the Portuguese. I think he was very well aware of what he was doing it and he played into Clarries spinning ball.
I am sure some of the finest minds in Portugal are working on this case and it is a matter of national pride.
What was said and what the Clarrie papers are saying must have been designed to have a specific purpose.
I can only imagine a lot of smiling faces on the team awaiting the next step.
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:15 am
Morning campers
As usual with a Clarrie lead media blitz, either something big is up, or its all a load of bollocks
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:18 am
morning julie
i suspect whoever translated this
‘ I think there perhaps should have been another assessment before the McCanns were made official suspects. ‘
to this :
‘ the national director of the Policia Judiciaria apparently acknowledges that they should never have been made arguidos, it follows there is no case for them to answer’
Probably failed their comprehension tests at school
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:25 am
Good morning all
Lets hope Cantsayno who is in portugal will shed a light on that one soon
It looks like an other spin…..Like you are both saying,I doubt very much the Alipio Ribeiro would trash months of investigation.
people
It has been too silent over the last days: Clarrie had to make something up and it comes out at a weekend???? No way…..
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:25 am
Very good morning to you all
I honestly think the hasty decision to make K & G arguidos, is because it gave them too much protection. K & G pressed for this status if you remember, probably knowing that it would give them the right to silence so they could avoid the questioning.
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:27 am
BTW - Chenier - glad to see you were back on the forum last night, hope you are recovering well, best wishes to you x
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:30 am
Must go now, have a good day everyone
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:31 am
8
just_me Says:
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:25 am
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Yes.I agree they had too much protection but at the end of the day(s) we must not forget that the PJ will have the last word for sure.
If the PJ lift their arguido status THEN they will be forced to answer to further questioning ANd go back to portugal,dont you think?
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:34 am
11 Jo -
Im not sure to be honest how it works. Do they PJ have to charge them to lift the status? If the status is lifted without charge does this mean charges cannot be brought in the future? Can they be made arguidos twice as it were, can the pj lift the status, question them, and then make them arguidos again?
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:34 am
3
Julie Says:
February 3rd, 2008 at 7:50 am
Would be interesting to find out exactly WHO translated Mr Ribeiro’s interview! Wonder how accurately the translation was done, and if a few words have not been misinterpreted??
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Face it Julie. You’ve been wrong all the time.
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:36 am
http://joana-morais.blogspot.com/2008/02/interviews-with-pjs-national-director.html
Question: Do you consider or not that there was a precipitation in establishing Kate and Gary (the journalist doesn’t say Gerry) as arguidos (suspects) in this process?
Alípio Ribeiro: In this moment, at this point in time, with the experience that I have of the magistracy from the Public Ministry… even, as you may know the constitution of arguidos in the processes are not… the director of the Judiciary, doesn’t give orders, constitute or not constitute, and he cannot. …maybe, there should have been another assessment. For that I have no doubts.
Question: There was some precipitation then?
Alípio Ribeiro: There was some precipitation. (asserting)
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:37 am
11
jo Says:
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:31 am
8
just_me Says:
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:25 am
************
Yes.I agree they had too much protection but at the end of the day(s) we must not forget that the PJ will have the last word for sure.
If the PJ lift their arguido status THEN they will be forced to answer to further questioning ANd go back to portugal,dont you think?
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Not sure what planet you’re on jo but i fink it must be near Saturn!
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:38 am
Garth - whats it like up uranus?
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:41 am
16
just_me Says:
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:38 am
Garth - whats it like up uranus?
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You should know. Seems to me a lot of peeps have been stuck up there. Bitter? Shame
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:43 am
12
just_me Says:
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:34 am
****************
I dont know how it works either but surely they cant be made arguidos twice….just arrested and jailed straight away? what about this GARTH?
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:43 am
Too hasty. Hmm. Well would you believe it.?
And all the evidence the PJ have ready to pounce on the McCanns? The believers? Naive!
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:47 am
18
jo Says:
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Based on my understanding of the Portuguese system, that cannot happen.
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:51 am
McCann oven chips -
Theyre hasty hasty very very hasty, theyre very hasty!
sorry …..gone now x
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:53 am
Apparently my excessive use of smilies is getting annoying to some
posted last night
You know, Noseycow, I still sit in amazement every time I read this site how many people get ”off” on another’s tragedy - even if brought on by their own stupidity or in their case neglect. There are ones that say with great glee “this is fun this fun” and the others such as you with the bright laughing smiley faces - so smug, so sure all of you that do that.
What is going to happen if you are all wrong? I doubt very much if the Mccanns do read this site or other sites. I don’t doubt though that others are aware of them, monitor them, as we all know re the Mirror, and most likely even their lawyers are having them monitored and I would not be surpised if staff are running off postings from many sites. Frankly, that would be the way to keep track of public opinion and condemnations. But once again what could happen if you and others are wrong? I myself don’t know but I have a favourite saying “payback can be a real bitch.”
so i apologies to all of you posters who take this case very seriousley, and from now on promise to add an extra two smilies to each of my posts!!
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Mods and Admin
At least two extra!!!
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:57 am
14
xklamation Says:
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:36 am
******************
All very strange if you ask me.
I cant find the french link! could you forward it please?Ta
February 3rd, 2008 at 9:00 am
22
noseycow Says:
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:53 am
More???
February 3rd, 2008 at 9:01 am
carmen - i noticed your reply - thanks, I’m not really worried about the ‘consequences’ bit - amazingly enough i have been wrong about things in the past, and surely will be again, but the excessive use of smilies bit tickled me
February 3rd, 2008 at 9:01 am
french link? Do you mean http://sosmaddie.dhblogs.be/ ???
February 3rd, 2008 at 9:02 am
6 noseycow Says: February 3rd, 2008 at 8:18 am
morning julie
i suspect whoever translated this
‘ I think there perhaps should have been another assessment before the McCanns were made official suspects. ‘
to this :
‘ the national director of the Policia Judiciaria apparently acknowledges that they should never have been made arguidos, it follows there is no case for them to answer’
Probably failed their comprehension tests at school
+++++++++++++++
The same person probably has a fantastic future writing highly exciting, but thoroughly unbelievable and improbable, trashy novels!
February 3rd, 2008 at 9:03 am
Jo - yes please - the more the merrier !
February 3rd, 2008 at 9:04 am
28
Peter O Says:
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Scraping the barrell there Peter. And good morning.
Interested to know your view?
February 3rd, 2008 at 9:06 am
All he was saying is what any cop in England would. Don’t charge until you have got enough evidence from the accused. That is why we bail people, even though it seems obvious that they have committed the crime. In England a charge stops further questioning of the accused, other than under very special circumstances.
That is all he was saying.
BUT, given that the decision to leave Portugal had been taken by the McCs before the interview during which they were made arguido, according to the blog, McCann-day 126 QUOTE We decided to fly back on Sunday AS WE HAD ORIGINALLY PLANNED and all of our family spent the rest of the evening helping us to pack. UNQUOTE ..
What choice did the PJ have ? Their prime suspects just about to flee the jurisdiction. Imagine the Detective Chief Superintendent’s briefing the following morning.
“They’ve WHAT ?”
“They’ve gone home, Sir”
“You let them ?”
“I couldn’t stop them, Sir ”
“Did you interview them ?”
“They didn’t want to talk to me, Sir.”
“Report to the traffic office immediately. For the rest of your service you will be in charge of no-parking cones.”
Instead they did what they should have done, fetched them in, individually, grilled them for a very long time until they knew there was nothing more they were going to say, and that asking the 40 Questions over and over again was getting nowhere, and then moved them up the ladder of official suspicion before letting them leave the country.
Remember this is based on GM’s blog account of the plans to return to England.
I personally think he is implying that they should have been interviewed further as witnesses, no lawyers, and no protection from consequences of lying. But hindsight is a wonderful thing, and if they really were waving plane tickets someone had to make a decision.