The role of the British Ambassador

by **Tony Bennett** 23.08.11 16:20

Not least of the intriguing things in this part of Amaral's book is this bit:

He would be prepared to hand over this recording to the British Ambassador in exchange for a sum of money to be sent to his lawyer.

I find it disturbing how often the role of the 'British Ambassador' comes into this whole affair. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the British Ambassador intervene in matters in this case more than once, including allowing the McCanns to dispose of some of their clothes?

by **tigger** 23.08.11 18:37

Tony Bennett wrote:Not least of the intriguing things in this part of Amaral's book is this bit:

He would be prepared to hand over this recording to the British Ambassador in exchange for a sum of money to be sent to his lawyer.

I find it disturbing how often the role of the 'British Ambassador' comes into this whole affair. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the British Ambassador intervene in matters in this case more than once, including allowing the McCanns to dispose of some of their clothes?

He must have had instructions from the FO, ambassadors aren't really free agents as far as I know. They may have their own opinions, but have to do as they're told by 'him indoors'.

by Luz 23.08.11 22:33

Dear Mr. Bennett, nowhere in Amaral's books (directly related to the case - neither Truth about the Lie or The English Gag) did I find such a reference. I wish you could provide us with more details in order to understand what you are referring to.

Thank you.

by Gillyspot 23.08.11 22:47

It is from Chapter 18

"The second piece of information comes to us from further afield: Beirut, capital of The Lebanon. Imagine this: an Arab shiekh possessed a video of an orgy by other shiekhs on which Madeleine was allegedly recognisable. He would be prepared to hand over this recording to the British Ambassador in exchange for a sum of money to be sent to his lawyer. Once again, we are stupified."

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Hope this helps.

by **Tony Bennett** 24.08.11 9:05

Thank you, Gillyspot, there is also this from Chapter 3 of Amaral's book:

THE VISITS BY THE CONSUL AND THE AMBASSADOR; INFORMATION IS TAKING A LONG TIME TO COME FROM GREAT BRITAIN

At ten in the morning, twelve hours after the disappearance, the British Consul to Portimão goes to the Department of Criminal Investigation. We inform him of the actions taken up to then and the next stages being considered. He doesn't seem satisfied. Someone hears him on the telephone saying that the police judiciaire are doing nothing. Now, that's strange! Why that untruth? What objective does he have in mind? Giving another dimension to the case? Perhaps, I don't know a thing about it, but this is not the time for conjecture; we have to concentrate on our work, of finding the little girl.

We're not getting any response from Great Britain. We've had no reports on the subject of the couple, their children and their friends, which doesn't help us to tighten up the investigation. We would like, for example, to know if Madeleine was adopted by the couple, which would allow us to eliminate the hypothesis of parental abduction. If the information is not reaching us, it's obviously reaching the British Ambassador. We are astonished by this prompt mobilisation of the English authorities. So, who are the McCanns? Who are their friends? We don't need diplomatic intervention: what we would like, is answers to the questions sent to the British police authorities by Glen Power.

by **tigger** 24.08.11 9:56

The night of the 3/4th May, someone phoned the British consul. I think it was one of the group. Rachel M phoned Sky and BBC I think, possibly before the police even got their first call. But I remember reading that someone had called the consul or the embassy.
It's only now percolating to my brain that the consul (usually a local businessman, not necessarily of British nationality) would only contact the Embassy the following morning at the earliest around 9.00 am.
Unless it was the Consulate General in Lisbon which got the night call. Even then, I would think a duty officer would take the call and not pass it on to a consul or the Ambassador until working hours started.
So what was the British Consul in Portimao doing at the police station at 10.00 a.m.? Apart from telling the Ambassador nothing was being done?
IMO that means the call hadn't been to the Portimao Consul, but straight to the Embassy in Lisbon. The ubiquitous Ambassador then got the local Consul to go to the police.
So, along with Sky and BBC news, was the ambassador also on someone's speed dial?

by Angelique 25.08.11 1:02

Gillyspot wrote:It is from Chapter 18

"The second piece of information comes to us from further afield: Beirut, capital of The Lebanon. Imagine this: an Arab shiekh possessed a video of an orgy by other shiekhs on which Madeleine was allegedly recognisable. He would be prepared to hand over this recording to the British Ambassador in exchange for a sum of money to be sent to his lawyer. Once again, we are stupified."

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Hope this helps.

Sorry if I am butting in but is this just spurious information probably from TM.

GA is merely mentioning it and showing he "discards this information".

by **tigger** 25.08.11 16:23

Angelique wrote:
Gillyspot wrote:It is from Chapter 18

"The second piece of information comes to us from further afield: Beirut, capital of The Lebanon. Imagine this: an Arab shiekh possessed a video of an orgy by other shiekhs on which Madeleine was allegedly recognisable. He would be prepared to hand over this recording to the British Ambassador in exchange for a sum of money to be sent to his lawyer. Once again, we are stupified."

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Hope this helps.

Sorry if I am butting in but is this just spurious information probably from TM.

I doubt that it comes from TM. Because it was so clearly designed to derail the PJ investigation. That's why GA mentions it and discards it. It's nonsense,
but a video that has connections to the Middle East and allegedly has Maddie on it to prove she isn't dead, it pretty damning in any case. GA was in effect told it was 'evidence' held in reserve in case.... they arrested the McCanns?

GA is merely mentioning it and showing he "discards this information".

by Guest 25.08.11 16:26

I thought the video was around before Madeleine even went missing !! So of course he will discount it as evidence she is still alive.

by Estelle 04.09.11 13:57

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by Estelle 04.09.11 14:11

From Kate's book:

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by Estelle 04.09.11 16:01

Madeleine McCann / John Buck /Freedom of Information Act /Wikileaks / laundry

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by Estelle 04.09.11 17:19

IMO we also need to look at the historical connections between the Symington family and the British Embassies in Portugal.

The Ocean Club Owner was David Symington

The Symington family appear to have links to some of the most senior figures in the British Establishment as is stated in this article:

"Grand family of wine sues Britain for 'reneging on £14m consulate bequest'

27 Aug 2005

A British family which made its fortune in Portugal's historic port and cod trade is taking the British Government to court in a dispute over land and heirlooms valued at £14 million.

The squabble is between the Foreign Office and a merchant family that has "lived on" in one of the last surviving colonies of British overseas traders.

The late Evelyn Teage, an eccentric spinster member of what has been called one of the "grand families of vinous history", bequeathed her estate to Britain in 1957 on condition that it served as its consul's permanent residence.

But the post of consul in Oporto, one of the oldest such jobs in Europe, was scrapped last year as part of Foreign Office cuts and since March the residence has been empty.

Miss Teage's heirs, her four nieces, will contest in a Portuguese court the return of the estate, valued at £5 million, to the family.

The family also claims that the Foreign Office abused the conditions of the gift when it moved valuable silverware to the British embassy in Lisbon, as well as selling parts of the estate.

The property lost a significant part of its original area when the government sold two adjoining pieces of land for £2.5 million for housing in 1997.

The family is claiming the entire value of the original estate, which included land outside Oporto and three other houses valued at an additional £6.5 million.

"We feel the FCO have broken the rules and are not keeping their end of the bargain," said Henry Shotton, Miss Teague's great-nephew who, like his forefathers, is prominent in the port industry.

The property, the Quinta da Fonte da Moura, is an elegant manor house with private chapel set in gardens in the centre of Oporto. The quinta, or estate, near the huge column depicting a rampant lion trouncing a sprawled eagle to celebrate the British and Portuguese victory over Napoleon in the Peninsular War, is a monument to Britain's links with Portugal, particularly the trade in port.

The port industry was intimately linked with the consular post for more than 350 years and the property was given to the government "in memory of the late Miss Teage's ancestors and in recognition of the courtesy she received in all her dealings with the British authorities".

Oporto's British community, which has dwindled since its heyday in the 1920s as port companies have been bought by the Portuguese, has rallied to the family's cause. Paul Symington, the head of Symington Family Port Companies, said: "There is the feeling that it should go to the family and, if not them, at least to fund some of the hard-up British institutions here, such as the British school or the Anglican church."

A spokesman for the British embassy in Lisbon said: "The matter is still under consideration but any decision will be based on abiding by Miss Teague's wishes and our legal advice."

John Buck, the British ambassador in Lisbon, hinted at the closing ceremony of the consulate residence in March that the Foreign Office believed it had a strong claim to the estate. He referred to it as "a public asset".

[url=http://www.123people.co.uk/ext/frm?ti=personensuche%20telefonbuch&search_term=paul%20symington&search_country=GB&st=suche%20nach%20personen&target_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fworldnews%2Feurope%2Fportugal%2F1497071%2FGrand-family-of-wine-sues-Britain-for-reneging-on-14m-consulate-bequest.html§ion=news&wrt_id=134]http://www.123people.co.uk/ext/frm?ti=personensuche%20telefonbuch&search_term=paul%20symington&search_country=GB&st=suche%20nach%20personen&target_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fworldnews%2Feurope%2Fportugal%2F1497071%2FGrand-family-of-wine-sues-Britain-for-reneging-on-14m-consulate-bequest.html§ion=news&wrt_id=134

British Consulate lives on in Oporto
30/4/2005

'It is business as usual' is the clear message from Oporto's new British Consulate office. The Portugal News' Dianne Ferreira went to meet Oporto's first ever 'Honorary' Consul and find out what the changes mean for Brits in northern Portugal.

There has been much concern and chitchat in the community since it was announced that three centuries of history was coming to an end with the closure of the former British Consulate office in its rather regal setting in Avenida da Boavista.

The days of grand garden parties may be over but the role of the Consulate at the heart of the ex-pat population will remain paramount and its vital provision of services and assistance to British citizens abroad will vary only slightly. Our new Honorary Consul Johnny Symington is himself hardly a stranger as his family has been an integral part of the international community in Oporto for four generations.

And his 'right hand woman', Pro-Consul Zilda Gomes, is the familiar, friendly face that has greeted us at the Boavista office for many years.

The main change has been location, but the new office at the Symington Family Estates HQ is every bit as welcoming as before and surprisingly easy to find, just up the road from the Cais de Gaia on the Vila Nova de Gaia side of the Douro. A weighty family history, position as Joint Managing Director of the Symington port wine, dare I say, 'empire', a childhood and the last 20 years spent in Oporto and experience gained while travelling the world working for a medical company, may have stood Johnny in good stead when the Embassy was selecting its new Honorary Consul.

One 'behind the scenes' change is that the political and commercial services will be centralised in Lisbon, where a 60-strong team runs the operation, headed by Ambassador John Buck. Practically everything else in Oporto, stressed Johnny, is the same; the telephone numbers will be the same and most consular services are the same, such as hospital visits or registering foreign children's names, providing, copying and verifying a range of documentation such as legalising signatures, legalisation of translations and notices of marriages. "

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Johnny Symington (whom I knew from us both posting on the Mirror Forum back in 2007) is in this photo:

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Does anyone else remember him? I had no idea of who he really was then. He seemed like an anti to me at the time, knew about the law and he even gave me his private email address and then disappeared from the Forum.

by Hicks 23.09.13 20:07

Who is the McCann relative giving info to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that must not be shared by any third party?

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Strange that the day after the McCann's were made Arguido's John Buck resigned. Coincidence?