Gerry / Murat - No comment

Smokeandmirrors wrote:I personally suspect Murat and Malinka of some sort of data transferral, given the encryption on the computers. 

Research_Reader wrote:Cristobell, do you not find it suspicious that RM rushed back to Luz with apparent haste, and denied being on the phone to Malinka late on the night of Madeleine's apparent disappearance, and then when caught in his lie said he couldn't remember what they talked about? 

Research_Reader wrote:

Smokeandmirrors wrote:I personally suspect Murat and Malinka of some sort of data transferral, given the encryption on the computers. 

The facts are suspicious to say the least. I often work from home during the evenings, but I VERY rarely call a work colleague or supplier late at night unless there was a very urgent pressing concern. If there were an urgent, pressing concern, I would be able to remember the reason for the call. Furthermore, I would likely have emails or texts to back-up the reason for the call.

e.g. there would be emails or texts along the lines of "Hey I know its late but do you mind if I call you quickly to sort out such-and-such?"

Additionally, if there was something work-related (remember both Malinka and Murat claim to have had a purely casual, work-related relationship) then there would likely be an email trail talking about whatever the urgent issue was. 

The lack of any of this is a huge red flag IMO. 

Equally, what possible reason would the average estate agent have for having encrypted files on his computer that he can't (or won't) account for?

Tony Bennett wrote:When re-interviewed on 10 July, he attempted to repeat those selfsame lies, only to be stopped in his tracks when the police produced his mobile 'phone pings which revealed how comprehensively he had lied to the police. He then amended his original statement in at least 17 different respects, claiming he had been 'too tired' on 15 May to 'remember the truth'.nothing remotely suspicious about it.

Research_Reader wrote:

Tony Bennett wrote:When re-interviewed on 10 July, he attempted to repeat those selfsame lies, only to be stopped in his tracks when the police produced his mobile 'phone pings which revealed how comprehensively he had lied to the police. He then amended his original statement in at least 17 different respects, claiming he had been 'too tired' on 15 May to 'remember the truth'.nothing remotely suspicious about it.

At the very least this paints the picture of a man who prefers to lie rather than say "Sorry I can't remember right now."

Cristobell wrote:How do we know his trip was 'in haste'?  He was a businessman who frequently travelled between the UK and Portugal. 

Cristobell wrote:

How do we know his trip was 'in haste'?  He was a businessman who frequently travelled between the UK and Portugal. 

BlueBag wrote:
In the interests of fairness does anyone have the full version of this interview?

Tony Bennett wrote: He then, hours later, booked his flight, for 7.00am from Exeter to Faro, at midnight on 30 April/1 May, i.e. 7 hours before his flight.

Research_Reader wrote:

Tony Bennett wrote: He then, hours later, booked his flight, for 7.00am from Exeter to Faro, at midnight on 30 April/1 May, i.e. 7 hours before his flight.

This is extremely rushed when you consider that within that time he would need to travel to the airport and be there at with time to spare to pass security etc. Also, given that it was night-time it would essentially mean forfeiting getting a decent night's sleep. 

If this doesn't constitute travelling 'in haste' then I don't know what would.

rustyjames wrote:

BlueBag wrote:
In the interests of fairness does anyone have the full version of this interview?

I can't find a full version of the video but there is a transcript on mccanfiles here under 22nd May 2007. I think that makes the context pretty clear in conjunction with the other long-winded answers to the other questions.

Woofer wrote:IMO it`s possible RM was `owned` - possibly because of his choice of piccies to look at and exchange.  If he`s `owned` its quite likely he will be protected because he is useful, i.e. he can translate and he has access to empty properties.  If that`s the case he would have to obey a request to get to PdL pdq.

Woofer wrote:IMO it' possible RM was 'owned` - possibly because of his choice of piccies to look at and exchange.  If he's 'owned', it's quite likely he will be protected because he is useful, i.e. he can translate and he has access to empty properties.  If that's the case he would have to obey a request to get to PdL pdq.

Tony Bennett wrote:

Woofer wrote:IMO it' possible RM was 'owned` - possibly because of his choice of piccies to look at and exchange.  If he's 'owned', it's quite likely he will be protected because he is useful, i.e. he can translate and he has access to empty properties.  If that's the case he would have to obey a request to get to PdL pdq.

On his second round of interviews (on 10 & 11 July), when he purported now to tell the truth, he admitted he had visited at least two empty properties on the afternoon of Thursday 3 May (date Madeleine was reported missing):

LIE NO. 12 (from my article: 'Murat's 17 lies'):
 

Lie No. 12.      He now remembered that he and Michaela had visited two apartments for about 30 minutes, probably on the afternoon of 3 May.

Tony Bennett wrote:

Woofer wrote:IMO it' possible RM was 'owned` - possibly because of his choice of piccies to look at and exchange.  If he's 'owned', it's quite likely he will be protected because he is useful, i.e. he can translate and he has access to empty properties.  If that's the case he would have to obey a request to get to PdL pdq.

On his second round of interviews (on 10 & 11 July), when he purported now to tell the truth, he admitted he had visited at least two empty properties on the afternoon of Thursday 3 May (date Madeleine was reported missing):

LIE NO. 12 (from my article: 'Murat's 17 lies'):
 

Lie No. 12.      He now remembered that he and Michaela had visited two apartments for about 30 minutes, probably on the afternoon of 3 May.

Tony Bennett wrote:

rustyjames wrote:

BlueBag wrote:
In the interests of fairness does anyone have the full version of this interview?

I can't find a full version of the video but there is a transcript on mccanfiles here under 22nd May 2007. I think that makes the context pretty clear in conjunction with the other long-winded answers to the other questions.

Well done once again Nigel of mccannfiles and of course rustyjames for finding this - thank you.

In order hopefully to slience BlueBag, at least on the context he craved in the OP, here's the whole exchange:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++



The McCanns hold a press conference and take questions from the assembled media

Tuesday 22 May 2007

Gerry: "Good afternoon.

As you know, yesterday I spent the day in the UK attending a series of meetings. I met with our legal team and the poilce and the discussions we had were extremely productive. Later on I also visited the incident room in Leicester along with other family members, which was extremely informative and encouraging.

Kate and I are particularly pleased with the joint appeal organised by the British and Portuguese police. We would encourage anyone who has photographs to submit them to the police. They can be uploaded on the website 'www . Madeleine . CEOP upload . com'. I'll just give you that again, 'www . Madeleine . CEOP upload . com'. And we'd also be grateful if you could give them any information which you think will assist the police on 0800 0961233.

Later on yesterday afternoon, I also had a meeting with the Madeleine's Fund directors and the trustee solicitor responsible for setting up the Fund. With immediate effect we are going to try and appoint... appoint an interim manager to asist in the management of the Fund and shortly we will be looking to appoint a campaign manager.

The campaign manager's role will be to extend and coordinate our family campaign, organised by ourselves and friends, to keep Madeleine's profile high across Europe.

Kate and I will play a key part in that campaign. We will travel wherever is necessary to ensure people across Europe recognise Madeleine's picture and we will encourage them to come forward with any information which might lead to Madeleine's safe return.

As you are aware, both of us have taken a great deal of strength from our faith in this... errm, very difficult time. Tomorrow we want to visit the Shrine at Fatima to pray for Madeleine's return to us.

Kate?"

Kate: "Gerry's telling me about the overwhelming support he received yesterday... errm, back home and especially his visit to Rothley. The love and messages he received are very moving.

Both of us are really grateful for all the support we've had. It keeps us... gives us strength and keeps us focussed. And I can't emphasise that enough.

We're also overwhelmed by the response to the Fund and the number of people... errm, using the website is unbelievable.

I want to thank everyone for everything they're doing. I strongly believe it well help us in our search for Madeleine. So, thank you for that.

I would like to add that we're both really pleased that Paige, the young girl who went missing on Sunday, was safely reunited with her parents yesterday.

Thank you."

Ian Woods (Sky News): "Gerry, I know that you've been getting lots of money in. People will want to know how you're going to spend that. I mean, I know, one of the thoughts was to hire private investigators. Is that the case and what input do you think they can have that perhaps the Portuguese police haven't had to date?"

Gerry: "Okay, I'll tell you the... the first thing in terms of the Fund which... there's... there's no payments been made out the Fund yet and that's why we need the manager in.

Errm, there will be quite significant legal expenses and I've already explained to you since the legal team has come in to advise us that has lifted a great burden from our shoulders. So, you know, there will be considerable expenses there.

The second thing is, we will fund the website which we think is a great vehicle for information regarding Madeleine's disappearance. And there is links from our 'Find Madeleine . com' website back to the police appeal websites.

We will have administrative costs and I think the next major cost after that will be the campaign manager.

Taking your question on, back to the private investigators. I'd like to reiterate what we've already said. The thrust of this investigation will be the criminal investigation which is being... errr, run by the Portuguese police with assistance from the British police.

As you know, our family strongly believe that somebody in the public holds a key piece of information and that's why we have campaigned so vigorously to make sure her disappearance is... errr, publicised as much as possible.

Regarding the specific point about the private investigators, we've taken advice about the level and the extensive resources both in this country and in the UK which are being... errr, directed and... to Madeleine's search and, at this stage, we don't see a role for private investigators."

BBC News: "Mr and Mrs McCann, for BBC News. Errm, you said you will travel across Europe. Now, do you know when you're gonna go, where you're gonna go, is that dependant upon alleged sightings of Madeleine, and also at some point, you're gonna have to go home?"

Gerry: "Okay, I think we'll take... take that as two points there.

The first point... errm, about sightings of Madeleine. We've clarified that with the British police if they... if the information comes back to the British police, and I'm assuming it's the same for the Portuguese police if the information comes through here, Interpol will direct local inquiries through local police and it will be done through the local authorities.

I think, if we weren't certain that those inquiries were conducted to our absolute... errr, satisfaction we could consider sending someone out to investigate locally.

Tell me the second bit of your question?" (laughs)

BBC News: "At some point, you're gonna have to think about going home?"

Gerry: "Okay, you said about which bits of Europe we actually want to travel to. Now that is... what we're going to do currently is monitor the media exposure... errr, throughout Europe, in the first instance, and then we will decide along with our campaign manager and our press team that are around us where we need to go to have maximum impact.

Regarding your question about going home, Kate and I are nowhere near ready to leave Portugal and head home."

Unidentified: "In terms of your international campaign. Should we read into that... that Madeleine is in another country. What's your intuition as parents?"

Gerry: "I think what we can say at the minute is we don't know that she's in Portugal, we don't know that, and therefore if we don't know that for certain we have to consider the possibility that she has... errr, crossed borders.

Errm, and all we're doing is starting to spread... errr, the net, far and wide, until we get... and we are very... I'd like to repeat, we are very hopeful that this latest appeal will lead to key information, whether it comes from Portugal or the UK or further afield, but, you know, we just want to ensure that the net is spread far and wide, in the first instance, and we are concentrating in continental Europe at this time."

Unidentified: "Can I... can I ask, that after so long, you've... you're now 19 days, do you have any... any new appeal or any new thoughts of sending a message to the person who took Madeleine?"

Gerry: "No, we're... we're going to wait and see what the response is from this current appeal and we're here to re-emphasise that appeal and support it."

Jane Hill (BBC): "You said you were encouraged... "

Nick Robinson (BBC): "... they have a suspect. How much information are you receiving from the police about the investigation here?"

Gerry: "Errr, I don't want to comment too much about the investigation. Errr, in general terms, terms of suspects, and I know there's been a lot of media... errm, response to that.

I would say, as a family, and I hope that everyone else here treats all suspects the way that we would hope to be treated and that they are presumed innocent until someone is charged, arrested and convicted of any criminal offence.

Errr, we have been assured by the British police that the information that we get is similar to what you would expect to get at home. And, you know, we don't want too much detail. When there's real developments we want to know about them."

Sandra Felgueiras (RTP): "But did you know Robert Murat?"

Gerry: "I'm not going to comment on that." (coughs, and turns his head away from the inerviewer)

Jane Hill (BBC): "You said you were encouraged by... errr, speaking to the police in... in Britain. I... I wonder... what words of encouragement they were able to give you or what it was that gave you encouragement?"

Gerry: "We've already mentioned that... errr, positivity gives us strength. There is a good feel when I was back home, everyone was vibrant - I don't know if that came from us in the first place but, you know, there was a lot of really strong messages that people believe that Madeleine'll be returned safely, as do we.

Errr, what was very encouraging about the incident room was seeing the number of people working there, how they processed the information and the excellent state-of-the-art technology used to process that information.

And, there are many similarities, I would say, to what happens in medicine in terms of literature searching and identifying things. And really, you know, we came away very reassured about how that information is processed and very importantly fed back to the Portuguese police incident room here and they have a clear... errr, IT link which has been operating for over 10 days.

So, all of that is encouraging."

Unidentified: "Gerry, it must have been difficult (inaudible) yourself yesterday for the first time"

Clarence Mitchell: (aside to Gerry) "Make this the last one."

Gerry: "We'll make this the last question and maybe Kate and I can both comment on it.

It was extremely difficult to leave here without Kate and when we went into Rothley, it was... you know, we should have been coming home as a family of five. There's no doubt about that.

(aside to Kate) Do you have anything to say?"

Kate: (long pause) "I mean it was... it was quite moving for me to see Gerry in Rothley and... errm, again it's just emphasised to us how much support we've got there and everywhere really and that really helps."

Clarence Mitchell: (to McCanns) "Okay?"

Gerry McCann: (to media) "Thank you."

Kate McCann: (to media) "Thank you."

Clarence Mitchell: (to media) "Thanks, very much."

ENDS

Woofer wrote:

Shame they weren't asked for their locations so the cadaver dog could go and have a sniff around. The PJ missed an opportunity there.

This is extremely rushed when you consider that within that time he would need to travel to the airport and be there at with time to spare to pass security etc. Also, given that it was night-time it would essentially mean forfeiting getting a decent night's sleep.

Tony Bennett wrote:

Cristobell wrote:

How do we know his trip was 'in haste'?  He was a businessman who frequently travelled between the UK and Portugal. 

Really, Cristobell, you often reveal your ignorance about several very imprtant areas of the case, and it might be wiser to read up on the files and the research a bit more first, before venturing forth to make comments like the above.

Cheeky, cheeky Tony. Just because my opinion differs from yours, does not mean I am less read well on the subject.  I haven't researched RM to the extent that you have, because I dismissed his involvement a long time ago, in the same way that I stopped reading Stephen Birch stuff. 

We know his trip was 'in haste' because he has frankly admitted it!  He said he had a frantic 'phone call from his girlfriend, Michaela Walczuk, who was living with her husband Antonio Luis at the time. He mantained that she had 'phoned him on 30 April 'to hurry on over and sort out your divorce' (or words to that effect). He then, hours later, booked his flight, for 7.00am from Exeter to Faro, at midnight on 30 April/1 May, i.e. 7 hours before his flight.

As for the reason for his haste, that never sounded convincing, not least because the wife he was divorcing lived in England (Norfolk). How would flying over to Portugal for a couple of weeks make it any easier for his divorce to go through?

Simple answer:

it wouldn't.