Re: The Mystery of Robert Murat: The 17 changes in his story

by WhatsinaName 08.01.10 8:22

The PJ and AG madeup their mind.

by preciousramotswe 08.01.10 21:23

aiyoyo wrote:Could people not be left to make up their mind of the files?

I wish they would.
But some people seem very inclined not to read them.

They dont even bother reading the Rogatories, all in English and freely available on the public part of several forums. They instead prefer Mr Amaral's book, old newspaper reports (some of which were the subject of libel proceedings and much of which is trash) and hearsay from forums and blogs.

Or they let others read them and then tell them what they think it all means.

I have never understood that, if they really want the truth.

by Autumn 09.01.10 18:26

Do we know why Brian Kennedy arranged a discreet meeting with Murat late 2008? I had assumed for a long while that this was a meeting between just Murat and Kennedy but have since learnt that, also in attendance, were both Kennedy and Murat's lawyers, Jennifer Murat (mother), and Murat's uncle and aunt (I don't know their names).

by Guest 09.01.10 18:55

Autumn wrote:Do we know why Brian Kennedy arranged a discreet meeting with Murat late 2008? I had assumed for a long while that this was a meeting between just Murat and Kennedy but have since learnt that, also in attendance, were Kennedy's and Murat's lawyers, Jennifer Murat (mother), and Murat's uncle and aunt (I don't know their names).

Good question Autumn, found this on mccannfiles:Visit to Robert Murat, 04 May 2008
'Pray like mad,' begs tearful Kate McCann Timesonline

Steven Swinford
May 4, 2008

Excerpt:

Brian Kennedy, the home improvements tycoon backing the McCanns, admitted yesterday that he flew to Portugal last November and spent an evening with Robert Murat, apart from the McCanns the only other official suspect. A source close to Kennedy said he was "gathering information".

Kennedy's lawyer, Ed Smethurst, approached Murat through a mutual friend and said that Kennedy wanted to offer him a job.

But the job offer never transpired. Kennedy spent the evening with Murat and his lawyers at his aunt's house in Praia da Luz, discussing Madeleine's disappearance.

He left with a "flea in his ear" after being confronted over reports that Metodo 3, the McCanns' private investigators, had suspicions about Murat.

by **Tony Bennett** 09.01.10 19:26

Autumn wrote:Do we know why Brian Kennedy arranged a discreet meeting with Murat late 2008? I had assumed for a long while that this was a meeting between just Murat and Kennedy but have since learnt that, also in attendance, were Kennedy's and Murat's lawyers, Jennifer Murat (mother), and Murat's uncle and aunt (I don't know their names).

Autumn, the meeting was on 13 November 2007. Also, it was one of two important meetings Kennedy held on that Portugal trip.

To help answer your questions, I have posted here an extract from a long essay I have been preparing on Murat for The Madeleine Foundation.

The 'aunt and uncle' were I am sure Raplh and Sally Eveleigh who own the 8-room Guest House at Vilo do Bispo, Burgau.

I am not sure technically that you can have more than one 'pivotal moment' in a case, so let's just say that these two meetings of Kennedy's, and the 'Tapas 9' 'emotional reunion' just three days later in Rothley, together - without any doubt - constituted one of the pivotal moments in the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

You can view my the extract of my article here:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

by **Tony Bennett** 09.01.10 19:40

candyfloss wrote:Good question Autumn, found this on mccannfiles:Visit to Robert Murat, 04 May 2008: 'Pray like mad,' begs tearful Kate McCann Timesonline

Steven Swinford - May 4, 2008

Excerpt:

Brian Kennedy, the home improvements tycoon backing the McCanns, admitted yesterday that he flew to Portugal last November and spent an evening with Robert Murat, apart from the McCanns the only other official suspect. A source close to Kennedy said he was "gathering information".

Kennedy's lawyer, Ed Smethurst, approached Murat through a mutual friend and said that Kennedy wanted to offer him a job.

But the job offer never transpired. Kennedy spent the evening with Murat and his lawyers at his aunt's house in Praia da Luz, discussing Madeleine's disappearance.

He left with a "flea in his ear" after being confronted over reports that Metodo 3, the McCanns' private investigators, had suspicions about Murat.

What a joke!

Seven people at a 'dinner party' just to offer him a job? I wonder if the job offer came before or after the cheese course and the coffee and mints?

And at the end of the dinner party, Murat sending him away with 'a flea in his ear'?

lol!

Murat: "You come here with your fancy sweet-talking lawyer, eat Sally's lovely meal that she slaved over all day cooking for the two of you, swill down our best [Syminton's] port, and then tell me I'm a suspect? Get out of here at once and don't darken Aunt Sally's door or my Mum's ever again".

Mrs Murat, Ralph and Sally Eveleigh and Franscico Pagarete: "Yes, clear off out of here and get back to making your fortune with your poxy double glazing".

Kennedy: "I'll get me coat".

IMO this was a business meeting with a deal struck or at least drafted by the end of it.

Edward Smethurst is not only Brian Kennedy's lawyer. He was also, of course, the McCanns' 'co-ordinating lawyer'. And remains so.

Only four months after these two meetings, Murat gained £600,000 from a libel settlement.

by Autumn 09.01.10 20:02

Thanks Tony, there was a time when I thought that Murat had been made a 'scapegoat' but, having looked more closely at his activities, it would appear to me that he is a key figure in all of this. It is a good idea to spend time focusing on Murat and his possible connection to the MCanns and friends. I seem to recall reading somewhere that ROB was vague about knowing Murat - something about him witnessing Murat intervening in a fight between 2 holiday-makers.

by Guest 09.01.10 22:58

I find it unbelievable that someone backing the McCanns was allowed to have a meeting with Mr Murat, and the Portuguese police never bothered to question this. Or perhaps they did? and I missed it. Was he an arguido at the time?

by littlepixie 09.01.10 23:43

I can't get my head around Jane Tanners hair haplotype being found along with Murats at this location.

I have heard various reasons why it should be there e.g. most people share the same haplotypes etc but I still don't know if that is true or possible.

It is a coincidence though.

by **Tony Bennett** 10.01.10 8:43

littlepixie wrote:I can't get my head around Jane Tanners hair haplotype being found along with Murats at this location.

I have heard various reasons why it should be there e.g. most people share the same haplotypes etc but I still don't know if that is true or possible.

It is a coincidence though.

I've not looked at this issue, but was there not a suggestion that there had been some kind of event or meeting of some of the Tapas 9 at Ralph and Sally Eveleigh's villa during the early part of that week?

by **Tony Bennett** 10.01.10 9:20

candyfloss wrote:I find it unbelievable that someone backing the McCanns was allowed to have a meeting with Mr Murat, and the Portuguese police never bothered to question this. Or perhaps they did? and I missed it. Was he an arguido at the time?

Murat was made an arguido on 15 May 2007.

The Kennedy meetings in Portugal were on 13 November 2009.

It's important to remember that there were two separate meetings:

Meeting 1 - Portimao

Present:

Kennedy
Smethurst
PJ Inspector Ferrreira
PJ Inspector Paiva
Francisco Marco, boss of Metodo 3
Representative from the Spanish govt Kidnapping/Abduction agency
and maybe some of these were accompanied by colleagues

Meeting 2 - Vila do Bispo, Burgau

Present:

Kennedy
Smethurst
Murat
Pagarete
Murat's Mum
Murat's Aunt
Murat's Uncle.

Note that the only two who were present at both meetings were Kennedy and Smethurst.

IMO it os very possible that at meeting No. 1 Kennedy did not tell them that he was off for dinner at the eveleighs' Guest House.

by aliberte2 12.01.10 1:33

Very Interesting: like Autumn I thought Murat Had Been Wronged. Perhaps too Soon.

Tony, How Do You think Kennedy's Lawyers Could have Arranged a LIbel Payment for Murat through the Papers?

by **Tony Bennett** 12.01.10 1:43

aliberte2 wrote:Very Interesting: like Autumn I thought Murat Had Been Wronged. Perhaps too Soon.

Tony, How Do You think Kennedy's Lawyers Could have Arranged a LIbel Payment for Murat through the Papers?

Robert Murat's U.K. lawyer was Louis Charalambous. He sued for and negotiated Murat's libel award. How he did it I don't know. I have a hunch this might have been discussed over dinner in Burgau on Wednesday 13 November 2007 by Robert Murat's Portuguese lawyer, Francisco Pagarete, and with Kennedy's lawyer Edward Smethurst.

Come to think of it, an awful lot of lawyers have been involved in this...er, search for a missing child.

by aliberte2 12.01.10 1:47

Tony Bennett wrote:
aliberte2 wrote:Very Interesting: like Autumn I thought Murat Had Been Wronged. Perhaps too Soon.

Tony, How Do You think Kennedy's Lawyers Could have Arranged a LIbel Payment for Murat through the Papers?
Robert Murat's U.K. lawyer was Louis Charalambous. He sued for and negotiated Murat's libel award. How he did it I don't know. I have a hunch this might have been discussed over dinner in Burgau on Wednesday 13 November 2007 by Robert Murat's Portuguese lawyer, Francisco Pagarete, and with Kennedy's lawyer Edward Smethurst.

Come to think of it, an awful lot of lawyers have been involved in this...er, search for a missing child.

So You think it was All sort of Coordinated? And basically a pay-Off for Murat to Keep Quiet?
Very Interesting.
Yes, the legal profession Certainly Has made a Mint out of Madeleine.