"Was it my positivity and vibrancy that made people in Rothley so upbeat?"

by **Tony Bennett** Tue 29 Jun - 4:33

[Based on the transcript on mcccannfiles, with slight differences].

Re-visiting this inteview with the McCanns, we learn many things. Here are a few I've picked out, I'm sure some of you will think of others:

* Dr Gerald McCann is full of both 'positivity' and 'vibrancy' as he meets village folk from Rothley 18 days after his daughter, according to him and his advisers, has been snatched by a predatory paedophile

* He thinks that he transmitted his vibrancy to the people of Rothley who welcomed him

* In England, he meets with his 'legal team'. Who assembled that so quickly? Brian Kennedy and Ed Smethurst? We're not told, of course. And what was the precise purpose of this legal team? To find Madeleine.

* Dr Gerald McCann says it's all about focussing on finding Madeleine. Yet just 12 days after this interview, on 3rd June, he said:

“We want a big event to raise awareness that she is still missing…It wouldn’t be a one-year anniversary, it will be sooner than that.”

Just 25 days after that, on 28^th June 2007, Dr Gerry McCann said:

“I have no doubt we will be able to sustain a high profile for Madeleine’s disappearance in the long-term”.

* Notice that Dr Gerald McCann is spending time with detailed plans for a long-term future, including:

- Appointing a Campaign Manager

- Appointing an Interim Manager to manage the Fund

- Meeting with the Madeleine Fund's Directors and Trustee Solicitor

- Planning trips across the continent of Europe for the purpose of 'media exposure'.

* Notice too how the whole of the general public was asked to send their photographs to CEOP - not to Leicestershire Police.

* Then notice how the man who later became an arguido was given a guided tour of the very incident room of Leicestershire Police where the Gaspars had 'phoned a few days earlier and arranged to give a statement. Is it even possible that the Gaspars' statement, or at least a note of their 'phone call, was on a detective's desk somewhere as Dr Gerald McCann looked around the incident room, positively agog at the 'state-of-the-art technology' and of course how much the setting reminded him of the world of medicine, with its 'literature searches etc.? Small wonder that Goncalo Amaral never got hold of that!

* Notice that Dr Gerald McCann already speaks of 'significant legal expenses'. To look for a missing child? Then he also speaks of administrative expenses. These could be said to be the hallmarks of a man who simply knows Madeleine will never be coming home; they are unmistakeable signs of long-term planning.

* Notice that Clarence Mitchell, the then Head of the government's 40-strong Media Monitoring Unit, is already at Dr Gerald McCann's side, having probably travelled out with him to Portugal after Dr McCann's visit to England, and no doubt having been in discussion with him before then. Notice also how no journalist asks why it's necessary to find Madeleine e.g. to have a significant legal team in place nor why the Head of the government's 'spin machine' needs to be in control of operations.

* He denies appointing any private investigators. But we know from Amaral's book if not elsewhere that staff from Control Risks Group were already advising Jane Tanner as early as 13 May - the day she accidentally-on-purpose 'recognised' Murat as the abductor she claimed she'd seen 10 days earlier

* Despite the obvious promptings of a journalist, there's no response from Dr Gerald McCann in terms of issuing a message to Madeleine's captors or to Madeleine herself.

* Dr Gerald McCann dodges the question about whether he already knew Robert Murat, leading to the obvious inference that he did already know Murat.

That's a few preliminary points.

Here's that interview again:

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

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 U.K. attending a series of meetings. I met with our legal team and the police 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 to the website www dot Madeleine dot CEOPupload dot com

I'll just give you that again, www dot Madeleine dot CEOPupload dot 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 assist 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 co-ordinate 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, erm, very difficult time. Tomorrow we want to visit the shrine at Fatima to pray for Madeleine's return to us.

Kate…

Kate: Gerry's told me about the overwhelming support he received yesterday, erm, 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...erm, 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: O.K, 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.

Erm, 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 FindMadeleine dot 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 re-iterate what we've already said. The thrust of this investigation will be the criminal investigation which is being, err, 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...err, publicised as much as possible.

Regarding the specific point about the private investigators, we've taken advice about the level and the extent of resources both in this country and in the U.K. which are being...err, 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. Erm, you said you will travel across Europe. Now, do you know when you're going to go, where you're going to go, is that dependant upon alleged sightings of Madeleine, and also at some point, you're going to have to go home?

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

The first point...erm, 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...err, satisfaction, we could consider sending someone out to investigate locally.

Tell me the second bit of your question… (laugh)

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

Gerry: O.K., 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, er, 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.

An unidentified journalist: 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…err, crossed borders.

Erm, and all we're doing...is starting to spread, er, 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 U.K. 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.

Another unidentified journalist: 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 [NOTE: Robert Murat was pulled in for questioning and made an arguido on 14 May]. How much information are you receiving from the police about the investigation here?

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

Er, 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)

Jane Hill (BBC): "You said you were encouraged by, er, 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... err, 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.

Er, 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, er, IT link which has been operating for over 10 days.

So, all of that is encouraging.

Unidentified journalist: Gerry, it must have been difficult being backing Rothley yourself yesterday for the first time"

Clarence Mitchell: (aside to Gerry) "Let’s…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.. erm, 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) O.K.?

Gerry McCann: (to media) Thank you.

Kate McCann: (to media) Thank you.

Clarence Mitchell: (to media) Thanks very much.

by Guest Tue 29 Jun - 4:49

Yes, some strange things have been said and done. For me though it is their continual phrase in almost every interview, namely

"there is no evidence..........etc etc.

Now the most normal thing to say imo, which most people would say is we are completely innocent. I have never heard this, perhaps someone could point me to an interview or article if they did. Of couse we all know if there is no evidence if anyone has comitted a crime then they cannot be brought to a court of law.

Just a small point Tony, and that is this bit

quote:

Then notice how the man who later became an arguido was given a guided tour of the very incident room of Leicestershire Police where the Gaspars had 'phoned a few days earlier and arranged to give a statement. Maybe Dr Gerald McCann even saw their statement lying on one of the detectives' tables? Small wonder that Goncalo Amaral never got hold of that!

That is pure speculation on your part, and would soon become a forum myth, so I think it better left out.

by **Tony Bennett** Tue 29 Jun - 4:57

candyfloss wrote:Just a small point Tony, and that is this bit

quote:

Then notice how the man who later became an arguido was given a guided tour of the very incident room of Leicestershire Police where the Gaspars had 'phoned a few days earlier and arranged to give a statement. Maybe Dr Gerald McCann even saw their statement lying on one of the detectives' tables? Small wonder that Goncalo Amaral never got hold of that!

That is pure speculation on your part, and would soon become a forum myth, so I think it better left out.

Well, I deliberately began the sentence with 'Maybe', but on thinking about your point, candyfloss, I have rephrased that paragraph. I was trying to convey the extraordinary fact that Dr Gerald McCann visited the very incident room where, later, he was to fall under suspicion of involvement in Madeleine's death.

by Judge Mental Tue 29 Jun - 5:50

One is quietly reassured that Stu kept the McCanns abreast of everything. Indeed Stu makes references in his own letters to the Portuguese police (AS DOCUMENTED IN THE POLICE FILES) about his need to keep the McCanns regularly informed of updates.

One cannot imagine Stu being so remiss as to forget to tell the McCanns about these grotesque and despicable accusatory allegations made by the Gaspars. Who needs friends like the Gaspars? They should be sued.

One would not be surprised to learn that McCann was supervising Stu throughout his work on the case.

by MR.D Tue 29 Jun - 5:59

It is well worth revisiting the older interviews.

My thinking about Robert Murat is that he was indeed recalled back to Portugal in order to "help". He has never denied that he offered to "help", but perhaps he has been economic with the truth when describing the extent of that help?

He was "caught" peeking at Police files and his inquisitive behaviour caught the attention of one of GA's team. I believe Team McCann had to take drastic action in order to protect themselves and ensure that Murat did not blow the whole cover-up. That drastic action being to portray Murat as a potential suspect, engineered through the media by Mitchell, backed up by CEOP. Perhaps Murat was promised his reputation would be restored and he would be financially compensated for his trouble. Did Murat really have any choice in the matter?

by **Tony Bennett** Wed 30 Jun - 18:48

MR.D wrote:He was "caught" peeking at Police files and his inquisitive behaviour caught the attention of one of GA's team. I believe Team McCann had to take drastic action in order to protect themselves and ensure that Murat did not blow the whole cover-up. That drastic action being to portray Murat as a potential suspect, engineered through the media by Mitchell, backed up by CEOP. Perhaps Murat was promised his reputation would be restored and he would be financially compensated for his trouble. Did Murat really have any choice in the matter?

That is a very interesting and so far as I'm aware novel explanation for the puzzling sequence of events in this case concerning Murat, I will have that suggestion burning away on the back burner MR.D

by MR.D Thu 1 Jul - 3:24

Tony Bennett wrote:
MR.D wrote:He was "caught" peeking at Police files and his inquisitive behaviour caught the attention of one of GA's team. I believe Team McCann had to take drastic action in order to protect themselves and ensure that Murat did not blow the whole cover-up. That drastic action being to portray Murat as a potential suspect, engineered through the media by Mitchell, backed up by CEOP. Perhaps Murat was promised his reputation would be restored and he would be financially compensated for his trouble. Did Murat really have any choice in the matter?
That is a very interesting and so far as I'm aware novel explanation for the puzzling sequence of events in this case concerning Murat, I will have that suggestion burning away on the back burner MR.D

When Murat was first identified as a suspect, a friend (of my Mothers) described how he had previously had an appointment with Robert Murat in order to discuss the purchase of a home in the Algarve. The friend was very surprised at the portrayal of Robert Murat in the media because he recalled him as being a very pleasant and articulate businessman - nothing like the "odd ball" factory worker that we were sold back in 2007.

The personality of Robert Murat portrayed by the media seems to have little in common with the real man but the media spun Murat perhaps made it plausible in the eyes of the public that he may have been the "abductor".

Why Why Why????

by ufercoffy Thu 1 Jul - 4:14

MR.D wrote:
Tony Bennett wrote:
MR.D wrote:He was "caught" peeking at Police files and his inquisitive behaviour caught the attention of one of GA's team. I believe Team McCann had to take drastic action in order to protect themselves and ensure that Murat did not blow the whole cover-up. That drastic action being to portray Murat as a potential suspect, engineered through the media by Mitchell, backed up by CEOP. Perhaps Murat was promised his reputation would be restored and he would be financially compensated for his trouble. Did Murat really have any choice in the matter?
That is a very interesting and so far as I'm aware novel explanation for the puzzling sequence of events in this case concerning Murat, I will have that suggestion burning away on the back burner MR.D

When Murat was first identified as a suspect, a friend (of my Mothers) described how he had previously had an appointment with Robert Murat in order to discuss the purchase of a home in the Algarve. The friend was very surprised at the portrayal of Robert Murat in the media because he recalled him as being a very pleasant and articulate businessman - nothing like the "odd ball" factory worker that we were sold back in 2007.

The personality of Robert Murat portrayed by the media seems to have little in common with the real man but the media spun Murat perhaps made it plausible in the eyes of the public that he may have been the "abductor".

Why Why Why????

I didn't know that about Murat either.

Maybe your dad was right and this does involve a paedophile ring. You say he is an articulate and very pleasant businessman...Shipman was an articulate and very pleasant doctor by all accounts and no one would have thought he was capable of murder. As for the why why why, maybe Murat is part of a possible paedophile ring and if one goes down they all go down and he's decided that a reputation as a possible abductor is better than being branded a paedo. Maybe he's hoping that as his arguido status is lifted and he's had compensation that that's the end of it. Maybe he's been promised more money to keep them all out of jail. All in my opinion of course.

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