Matt Baggott, Leics Police Chief Constable when Madeleine was reported missing, taken to court by N. Ireland Ombudsman for (allegedly) obstructing justice and trying to cover up over 60 murders

NI's chief constable accused of obstructing Troubles' investigations


By Vincent Kearney BBC News NI Home Affairs Correspondent


Michael Maguire is taking legal action in an attempt to force Mr Baggott to hand over sensitive intelligence material


NI's chief constable is being taken to court over claims he obstructed Police Ombudsman investigations into allegations against the police in 60 murders.

The action has been brought by NI's Police Ombudsman Michael Maguire.

He is attempting to force the chief constable to hand over sensitive intelligence material.

The PSNI said it believed it had responded appropriately to each request on a case-by-case basis.

Mr Maguire said he had no option because he had received more than 100 refusals for information.

He said the material was needed for his investigators to do their jobs.

This is an unprecedented legal action by the police ombudsman (PONI).

Mr Maguire claimed Chief Constable Matt Baggott was making it impossible to investigate allegations of serious criminal activity and misconduct.

"At this point in time, the police have refused us access to 100 pieces of information involving investigations surrounding in the region of 60 murders," he told the BBC.

'Complex investigations'

"I find that unacceptable and we have no other choice but to take legal action against the chief constable.

"We're talking about complex investigations into over 60 murders where there have been allegations of police criminality and misconduct in relation to their failure to investigate those murders; the fact that they may well have been protecting individuals involved in those murders.

"Answering those questions requires access to quite a range of intelligence and other sensitive material. I need access to that in order to be able to come to a view, in order to determine whether they are right or not."


Six men were shot dead by the UVF at the Heights Bar in 1994

The ombudsman said the problem had emerged in recent months.

He launched the legal action against Mr Baggott after the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) failed to meet a deadline for handing over information requested.

The BBC understands that the investigations the chief constable is accused of obstructing include the murders of six Catholic men shot dead by the UVF as they watched a Republic of Ireland World Cup game in the Heights Bar in Loughinisland 20 years ago.

No-one has ever been convicted.

It has been claimed that the RUC did not conduct a proper investigation because they were protecting an informer, and that there was collusion between some police officers and the killers.

A report by the previous police ombudsman, Al Hutchinson, concluded that the RUC failed to properly investigate what happened at Loughinisland, but said there was insufficient evidence of collusion.

Those findings were quashed after a legal challenge by relatives of those who were killed.

Mr Maguire is now conducting a fresh investigation.

The chief constable stands accused of obstructing him by refusing to hand over intelligence material, including details about police informers that the ombudsman said was essential for him to do his job.

Mr Maguire said he was legally entitled to the information.

Access all areas

"The Police Ombudsman's office does not do investigations by negotiation," he said.


Constable Colleen McMurray was killed by an IRA mortar bomb in 1992

"This is fundamental to the independence of the office and the requirement for me to undertake a very clear and robust, independent investigation. In order to be able to do that, I need access to all areas of police activity to allow my investigators to come to a judgement about what happened.

"This gets to the core of independence, it gets to the core of accountability. We cannot have a situation where those who are the subject of investigation will determine what information is given to those who are undertaking that investigation."

It is understood other cases the chief constable is accused of blocking include incidents where police officers have been killed.

Colleen McMurray died and a colleague was seriously injured when their car was hit by a mortar in Newry, County Down, in March 1992.

It has been claimed that the RUC's Special Branch had advance warning about the attack, and that at least two IRA informers were involved.

Other cases are much more recent - and involve serious allegations against members of the PSNI.

"This is not just about the past, this is about a range of cases that both go before the Good Friday Agreement and come after the Good Friday Agreement, so it relates to the RUC and the PSNI," he explained.

"That's why it's extremely important in the context of an ombudsman's office which is there to provide an independent and robust investigation.

"I cannot allow a situation which is a challenge to the authority of the office, which is a challenge to the independence of that office, to allow that to happen."

In a statement, the PSNI said it was seeking to agree a solution with the ombudsman about what it called "complicated and, sometimes, competing legal issues".

"The PSNI has a legal responsibility for the care and management of all information that it holds - this is a responsibility which must be taken extremely seriously," the statement said.


The PSNI, which is headed by Mr Baggott, said it would continue to work with PONI to "seek to get an agreement over our respective obligations"

"At the same time the PSNI also recognises the statutory responsibility to provide information to the Police Ombudsman, enabling exercise of his functions and legal responsibilities.

"We will continue to fulfil our legal obligations with the primary consideration being that of protecting life in accordance with Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights."

"PSNI will continue to work with PONI to seek to get an agreement over our respective obligations and ensure we both have shared understanding of the legal framework.

'Accountability'

The ombudsman is being represented by Sir Keir Starmer QC, the former director of public prosecutions for England and Wales, and a former human rights advisor to the policing board, which holds the PSNI to account.

The Policing Board said in a statement: "Police cooperation and the provision of information to the institutions with legislative responsibility for delivering independent oversight and accountability of the PSNI is critical.

"The application for leave for judicial review by the Police Ombudsman is very significant and a matter of great concern."

Sinn Féin MLA Caitriona Ruane said the police's refusal to provide information to the ombudsman was "entirely unacceptable".

"This is affecting several key and high profile cases in which families such as those in Loughinisland are seeking the truth and it will damage overall confidence in the PSNI," she said.

"It is therefore not surprising that the ombudsman has been forced to take this action against Matt Baggott.

"We commend him for exhausting every avenue to conclude on these investigations despite the barriers being put in place and support victims and survivors and their families."

SDLP MP Margaret Ritchie said she supported the ombudsman's action, having worked to pursue the truth for the families killed in the Loughinisland shootings.

"Unfortunately, the Police Ombudsman's office has reached the point where they have to take this legal action in pursuit of the truth for the families and victims and to protect the independence and good name of their office," she said.

"This is due to the fact that the chief constable and senior officers have refused to cooperate with the Police Ombudsman's investigating officers.

"In so doing they are obfuscating this and other inquiries into historical cases thus preventing truth and justice for the families and the wider community. It is also quite clear that they are interfering with the independence of the Police Ombudsman."

The Committee for the Administration of Justice (CAJ) said it was shocked that the PSNI was refusing to share "sensitive intelligence".

CAJ director Brian Gormally said: "This action by the PSNI is on the face of it unlawful and is certainly wrong. It amounts to a subversion of the role of one of the most important policing accountability mechanisms that we have.

"We are deeply concerned that this is another example of an attempt to cover up past crimes. At a UK and local level, it appears that some politicians and elements of the security establishment are determined to maintain impunity for state agents.

"This is deeply offensive to the rule of law and undermines confidence in policing and all the institutions of state."



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-27682154

Is Matt Baggott in any way connected to Jim Gamble? Jim gamble is an ex-RUC man, though that part of his career seems to have been airbrushed from his CV.

Oh dear. Dearie , dearie me.

tasprin wrote:Is Matt Baggott in any way connected to Jim Gamble? Jim Gamble is an ex-RUC man, though that part of his career seems to have been airbrushed from his CV.

There are some strongly-worded comments on this site about Jim Gamble's time in Northern Ireland and also his controversial conduct of Operation Ore:

http://ore-exposed.obu-investigators.com/Jim_Gamble.html

There is a pic somwhere, by the way, of Matt Baggott meeting Gordon Brown, then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, in a Leicester Police Station on 12 September 2007.

It was hailed by the media as a promotion of Leicestershire Police's Neighbourhood Policing Scheme on the once-notorious Braunstone Estate.

Arranged at short notice, however, it took place just 3 days after the McCanns rushed back from Portugal, and on the very same day that the McCanns claimed (Dr Kate McCann, 'madeleine', p. 268) that senior Freemason and commercial lawyer Edward Smethurst contacted the McCanns offering the services of Cheshire double-glazing magnate and multi-millionaire Brian Kennedy.

worriedmum wrote:Oh dear. Dearie , dearie me.

My immediate thoughts too, wm, followed by how well does the former Chief Constable for Leicestershire Police know Uncle Brian Kennedy and his infamous nephew-in-law?  

If, perchance, Mr Baggott committed any sin(s) by omission in the case of Madeleine McCann it would beg the question of whether his loyalty to the brotherhood conflicts with his role as President of the Christian Police Association.  However, it seems we can assume that his spouse is unlikely to become his Lady wife as, having decided not to extend his current contract, not-Sir Matt Baggott will be retiring in September.

On a brighter note for the good people of Northern Ireland, Baggott's replacement will be current ACC George Harrison which means the province has been spared the prospect of Cressida Dick policing it.    

After her appalling lack of judgement caused the death of the entirely innocent Juan Charles de Menezes at Stockwell Underground Station Ms Dick should rightfully have been demoted to beat bobby with no prospect of career advancement but, such is the way of the Met, she was promoted sideways and upwards probably in the hope some other force would be persuaded that she is a safe pair of hands.   Unfortunately for the capital's citizens, and no doubt to Ms Dick's chagrin, there's been no takers,  

Oh dearie me, indeed!

I am putting my neck on the line here.
This has nothing to do with Leicestershire police, the McCanns or really even Matt Baggott.
These investigations have been going on for decades. They were covered up by the RUC, then the PSNI but more importantly the British Gov.
There was a book written about it but it was banned in the UK and Ireland. I got my copy in the late 1990's from the States.
The situation here in NI is unique. It is incredibly sensitive. I am incredibly glad the Ombudsman is doing something about these past murders but I also fear the outcome on the Peace process.
I would say that the majority of us moderates in NI think that Matt Baggot did a good job here. He made some mistakes but he was fair and transparent (as he could be). He endeared himself and the PSNI to both sides of the community. 
As regards "the committee". Matt Baggott will have been told what to do. I don't think George Harrison will do any different. As did all of the C.constables before him. This court order from the Ombudsman only happened on Matt Baggots watch. It will continue through a few more Chief Constables.
This is a link to "The Commitee". A synopsis and updates on the book of the same name. Cryptome.org/committee.htm
One worrying thing in connection with this story and the McCanns story is JG of CEOP. He was a member of Special Branch at the time of the killings.
He went up against Matt Baggot for the job of Chief Constable but the feeling on the ground was he would be too destabilising. It would be too sensitive and dangerous to appoint him.

I agree, appleblossom, and I would find it unusual in the extreme if, at a presumably pre-planned and publicised event they were both scheduled to attend, Messrs Baggott and Brown had not engaged in some conversation relating to the unexpected return to Leceistershire of two refugees from Portugal. .  

However, having in mind information about the McCanns which was available to Leicestershire Police, such as medical records together with financial and other pertinent documents, that would seem not to have been passed on to the PJ prior to their becoming arguidos, I would very much like to know why Mr Baggott elected not to do everything in his power to assist his Portuguese colleagues in their investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

appleblossom wrote:I am putting my neck on the line here.
This has nothing to do with Leicestershire police, the McCanns or really even Matt Baggott.
These investigations have been going on for decades. They were covered up by the RUC, then the PSNI but more importantly the British Gov.
There was a book written about it but it was banned in the UK and Ireland. I got my copy in the late 1990's from the States.
The situation here in NI is unique. It is incredibly sensitive. I am incredibly glad the Ombudsman is doing something about these past murders but I also fear the outcome on the Peace process.
I would say that the majority of us moderates in NI think that Matt Baggot did a good job here. He made some mistakes but he was fair and transparent (as he could be). He endeared himself and the PSNI to both sides of the community. 
As regards "the committee". Matt Baggott will have been told what to do. I don't think George Harrison will do any different. As did all of the C.constables before him. This court order from the Ombudsman only happened on Matt Baggots watch. It will continue through a few more Chief Constables.
This is a link to "The Commitee". A synopsis and updates on the book of the same name. Cryptome.org/committee.htm
One worrying thing in connection with this story and the McCanns story is JG of CEOP. He was a member of Special Branch at the time of the killings.
He went up against Matt Baggot for the job of Chief Constable but the feeling on the ground was he would be too destabilising. It would be too sensitive and dangerous to appoint him.

Just a nugget of information which may be relevant. Military and police are well aware of the fact that the IRA buried a some of their victims on the beaches of Western Scotland.

As for the news not reflecting the situation in NI, I have friends there. They've said the same, Good Friday agreement or not.

Tigger and Ultima Thule.
Bear with me. I have been sitting up with a dying relative so may not make sense.
We don't know what Baggot did or didn't do in regards the McCann investigations. We all know that police services don't work autonomously or without interference. We don't know what Leicestershire police believe or know and what they have been told to believe or know!
What Tony's article omitted in detail was the Ombudsmans investigation into the RUC sanctioned killings of catholics. I have mentioned this in my previous post. Jim Gamble was in Special Branch at the time of the killings. It was Special Branch that sanctioned the killings. They were a small elite squad. Jim Gamble was also in SB at the time of Kincora. Members of SB were known to be regular visitors to Kincora. Whether Gamble was or wasn't I don't know but he certainly covered for those that were.
It has always bothered me that Jim Gamble has some how become glorified but got a job in CEOP and some how superglued himself to pope visiting catholics, surrounded in controversy. A man who was counted as being too controversial and dangerous to become Chief Constable!!
When I actively posted on the MF's and 3A's I wanted to express this but didn't incase I came across as a loon but I think I am too sleep deprieved to care today. :) 
Tigger...I didn't know about the victims on the beaches in Scotland but had heard they used to train around Loch Lomond and up in the Cairngorms.

appleblossom wrote:We don't know what Baggot did or didn't do in regards the McCann investigations.

Actually we know several things:

1. That despite the McCanns being made formal suspects in the disappearance of Madeleine, Leics Police prominently featured the 'Find Madeleine' website on their own website

2. They deliberately encouraged the public to contact the McCanns' own private investigation team (a series of criminals: Metodo 3 employees convicted of crimes, Halligen in jail for 4 years etc.), an apparent first in world history. Never before has a police force advised the public to contact the suspects' 'phone number

3. In May or June 2007 they gave Gerry McCann a personal tour of Leics Police HQ and their Madeleine McCann incident room

4. They conducted desultory Rogatory interviews which inadequately probed the many evasions and inconsistencies in the evidence of the witnesses they interviewed   

5. They sent Det Supt Bob Small out to Praia da Luz and on 13 May, he had an extended briefing session with Jane Tanner immediately before she made her highly controversial 'adamant' identification of Robert Murat as the man she claimed to have seen on 3 May carrying away a child (an identification she later both denied and said was mistaken)

6. In the negotiations about the McCanns and the rest of the Tapas 7 attending a possible reconstruction of events in Portugal, it was clear that Det Supt Stuart Prior had an inappropriately 'matey' relationship with them all ('Hi Stu')

7. They actively co-operated with the controversial promotion by the McCann Team and Brian Kennedy of 'monsterman' - based as he was on controversial conversations between Kennedy and his men and Gail Cooper and Paul Gordon (the latter said that Kennedy pressurised him), and on yet another 'forensic artist's sketch' by Melissa Little (upon which Jane Tanner said she was '60% to 80% sure that Tannerman and monsterman were one and the same, even though she never saw Tannerman's face)

8. They interviewed the Drs Gaspar on 19 May 2007, who both made allegations that Dr David Payne had made suggestions that he was interested in the sexual abuse of children, in the presence of Gerry McCann, yet failed to send their statements to the investigating authority, the Portuguese Police, as the Gaspars had every right to expect, until after Dr Goncalo Amaral was removed from the investigation.

These are all extremely serious concerns for which the Chief Constable of Leicestershire at the time, Matt Baggott, is absolutely answerable and accountable.

And of course Matt Baggott and Prime Minister Gordon Brown would most certainly have discussed Madeleine McCann on Brown's visit to Leicestershire Police on 12 September 2007.

tasprin wrote:Is Matt Baggott in any way connected to Jim Gamble? Jim gamble is an ex-RUC man, though that part of his career seems to have been airbrushed from his CV.

Is Dave Edgar also ex- RUC?

Goncalo made reference to the bombings in Ireland where the FSS may have manipulated data.
 
“We have no doubts, and this was discussed even at the level of Portuguese justice, at the level of the Public Ministry, that there was an alteration at the English lab. The data was manipulated. The FSS, the British lab, which was already questioned over several situations, even concerning the IRA in Ireland, over bomb attacks, those traces, that way to find the DNA, to examine the DNA with low copy number, was called into question relating to traces found on a bomb in an Irish case. And that lab was called into question.”
 
Was he suggesting that the RUC had a connection to the FSS and was manipulating data to discredit the IRA?

http://themaddiecasefiles.com/topic21993.html

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/madeleine-mccann-is-in-a-secret-lair-28494565.html

Yes, Sharon, but there are also reports that he was with the Cheshire police for 30 years......eh?

ultimaThule wrote:I agree, appleblossom, and I would find it unusual in the extreme if, at a presumably pre-planned and publicised event they were both scheduled to attend, Messrs Baggott and Brown had not engaged in some conversation relating to the unexpected return to Leceistershire of two refugees from Portugal. .  

However, having in mind information about the McCanns which was available to Leicestershire Police, such as medical records together with financial and other pertinent documents, that would seem not to have been passed on to the PJ prior to their becoming arguidos, I would very much like to know why Mr Baggott elected not to do everything in his power to assist his Portuguese colleagues in their investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

Were the Gaspar statements held back on his watch?

Portia wrote:

Were the Gaspar statements held back on his watch?

I'm sure they were, yes

No Fate Worse Than De'Ath wrote:http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/madeleine-mccann-is-in-a-secret-lair-28494565.html

Yes, Sharon, but there are also reports that he was with the Cheshire police for 30 years......eh?

NFWTD, the truth is that he was in the Northern Ireland Police force for 22 years, and then served out his remaining 8 years (to qualify for his generous police pension after 30 yesars' service) in Cheshire.

So he might well have worked alongside Jim Gamble in N. Ireland.

Incidentally, he has has never satisfactorily explained why he suddenly left the Northern Irleand Police when he expected to be promoted but was in fact moved sideways (remaining a DI) on obtaining a post in Cheshire.

Here's an extract from my lengthy article on Dave Edgar, for those who've not yet read it:

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


One would also like to check the generally hagiographic claims about the careers of Cowley and in particular Edgar. The claim, above, that they ‘had more than 60 years’ experience behind them’ could apply equally to the lowest, untalented constable who simply served his 30 years in the police force. In a 30-year career, Cowley only managed one promotion, from Constable to Sergeant.

From the details about Edgar’s career, it would seem that he spent 22 years working for the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), in his native Northern Ireland, followed by eight years working for Cheshire Police. It is claimed that, after 22 years in the RUC, he was ‘a rising star’ and ‘about to be promoted to Detective Inspector’. ‘Inspector’ is only one rank up from Sergeant.

Can someone who after 22 years has only managed two promotion, to Sergeant and then Inspector, truly be regarded as a ‘rising star’, as the Mirror claimed?  A ‘rising star’, after 22 years, would surely be of much higher rank than that.

Again, in reference to the murder of Gary Newlove, no doubt Edgar did good work as part of the team that brought his teenage killers to justice. But the Mirror article almost suggests that he solved the murder single-handed. He was not the Senior Investigating Officer in that case. Moreover, it was known that Gary Newlove had been set upon by a group of young thugs. The police task was merely to identify them.    

Woofer wrote:Goncalo made reference to the bombings in Ireland where the FSS may have manipulated data.
 
“We have no doubts, and this was discussed even at the level of Portuguese justice, at the level of the Public Ministry, that there was an alteration at the English lab. The data was manipulated. The FSS, the British lab, which was already questioned over several situations, even concerning the IRA in Ireland, over bomb attacks, those traces, that way to find the DNA, to examine the DNA with low copy number, was called into question relating to traces found on a bomb in an Irish case. And that lab was called into question.”
 
Was he suggesting that the RUC had a connection to the FSS and was manipulating data to discredit the IRA?

http://themaddiecasefiles.com/topic21993.html

 You might also be interested in this . 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-482662/McCanns-hire-Omagh-bomb-expert-carry-independent-DNA-tests.html


There are so many Irish connections in this case.

Tony Bennett wrote:

appleblossom wrote:We don't know what Baggot did or didn't do in regards the McCann investigations.

Actually we know several things:

1. That despite the McCanns being made formal suspects in the disappearance of Madeleine, Leics Police prominently featured the 'Find Madeleine' website on their own website

2. They deliberately encouraged the public to contact the McCanns' own private investigation team (a series of criminals: Metodo 3 employees convicted of crimes, Halligen in jail for 4 years etc.), an apparent first in world history. Never before has a police force advised the public to contact the suspects' 'phone number

3. In May or June 2007 they gave Gerry McCann a personal tour of Leics Police HQ and their Madeleine McCann incident room

4. They conducted desultory Rogatory interviews which inadequately probed the many evasions and inconsistencies in the evidence of the witnesses they interviewed   

5. They sent Det Supt Bob Small out to Praia da Luz and on 13 May, he had an extended briefing session with Jane Tanner immediately before she made her highly controversial 'adamant' identification of Robert Murat as the man she claimed to have seen on 3 May carrying away a child (an identification she later both denied and said was mistaken)

6. In the negotiations about the McCanns and the rest of the Tapas 7 attending a possible reconstruction of events in Portugal, it was clear that Det Supt Stuart Prior had an inappropriately 'matey' relationship with them all ('Hi Stu')

7. They actively co-operated with the controversial promotion by the McCann Team and Brian Kennedy of 'monsterman' - based as he was on controversial conversations between Kennedy and his men and Gail Cooper and Paul Gordon (the latter said that Kennedy pressurised him), and on yet another 'forensic artist's sketch' by Melissa Little (upon which Jane Tanner said she was '60% to 80% sure that Tannerman and monsterman were one and the same, even though she never saw Tannerman's face)

8. They interviewed the Drs Gaspar on 19 May 2007, who both made allegations that Dr David Payne had made suggestions that he was interested in the sexual abuse of children, in the presence of Gerry McCann, yet failed to send their statements to the investigating authority, the Portuguese Police, as the Gaspars had every right to expect, until after Dr Goncalo Amaral was removed from the investigation.

These are all extremely serious concerns for which the Chief Constable of Leicestershire at the time, Matt Baggott, is absolutely answerable and accountable.

And of course Matt Baggott and Prime Minister Gordon Brown would most certainly have discussed Madeleine McCann on Brown's visit to Leicestershire Police on 12 September 2007.

HOW DID MR BAGGOT 'REACT' WHEN....?

We don't know how Chief Constable of Leicestershire at the time, Matt Baggott, 'reacted' when in a Court, HIS Assistant Chief Constable of Leicestershire Police said: “While one or both of them may be innocent, there is no clear evidence that eliminates them from involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance”.

Tony Bennett wrote:

tasprin wrote:Is Matt Baggott in any way connected to Jim Gamble? Jim Gamble is an ex-RUC man, though that part of his career seems to have been airbrushed from his CV.

There are some strongly-worded comments on this site about Jim Gamble's time in Northern Ireland and also his controversial conduct of Operation Ore:

http://ore-exposed.obu-investigators.com/Jim_Gamble.html

There is a pic somwhere, by the way, of Matt Baggott meeting Gordon Brown, then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, in a Leicester Police Station on 12 September 2007.

It was hailed by the media as a promotion of Leicestershire Police's Neighbourhood Policing Scheme on the once-notorious Braunstone Estate.

Arranged at short notice, however, it took place just 3 days after the McCanns rushed back from Portugal, and on the very same day that the McCanns claimed (Dr Kate McCann, 'madeleine', p. 268) that senior Freemason and commercial lawyer Edward Smethurst contacted the McCanns offering the services of Cheshire double-glazing magnate and multi-millionaire Brian Kennedy.

Contextually, it is also interesting to note that Michael Caplan QC (Pinochet's extradition lawyer) came to Rothley on Day 1 - the day of their hasty flight out of  Portugal on 9 Sept 2007. A Sunday too! Not even time to unpack. I wonder what rates and expenses were incurred?  Uncle Brian was certainly most astute in his forecasts about the fund and legal expenses when he was interviewed with Eileen McCann in the May.

I wonder who pointed the clueless GM in the direction of Caplan QC with his specialist expertise? And so quickly. I mean, we ARE talking about a man who has little idea where the Mediterranean sea is. A man woefully ignorant of Portugal's proud naval tradition. Whatever opinion GM has of himself, Brain of Britain he ain't.

In fact he may well have been all at sea without an "Official Line". You know - the one McGuiness memorably reminded him of during his spectacular meltdown when asked about the dogs. Perhaps he's having another in Rothley  while watching their expertise on TV. As teams go they knock TM into cocked hat.

Mirage wrote:

Contextually, it is also interesting to note that Michael Caplan QC (Pinochet's extradition lawyer) came to Rothley on Day 1 - the day of their hasty flight out of  Portugal on 9 Sept 2007. A Sunday too! Not even time to unpack. I wonder what rates and expenses were incurred?  Uncle Brian was certainly most astute in his forecasts about the fund and legal expenses when he was interviewed with Eileen McCann in the May.

I wonder who pointed the clueless GM in the direction of Caplan QC with his specialist expertise?

Well, the book, 'madeleine', by Dr Kate McCann (hardback edition), p. 254 gives us the definitive answer to that:

"Saturday 8 September. We were on tenterhooks all day, waiting to hear whether we would be allowed to go home. Rachael [Mampilly/Oldfield] had found a couple of criminal lawyers in London she was sure could help us. Michael Caplan and Angus McBride of Kingsley Napley had worked on several high-profile cases, including the Pinochet extradition proceedings and the Stevens inquiry. Gerry gave them a call...Late that afternoon, we were notified by Liz Dow, the British consul in Lisbon, that we [were] 'free to leave the country whenever we wished. Thank you, God".

The help came thick and fast after that.

* Special Branch officers drove them up to Rothley (and some people still say the government isn't involved in all of this) on the Sunday

* Michael Caplan Q.C. AND Angus McBride drove up from London and spent the afternoon with them in Rothley the same day

* On Tuesday, 11 September, there was an '8.00am conference call' with Michael Caplan Q.C., Angus McBride and Justin McGuinness (while Kate embarked on compiling a 'detailed account of all our movements from 3 May to 7 September' and Gerry was 'deep into his next task: researching the validity of responses produced by blood and cadaver dogs', especially in the Eugene Zapata case ('madeleine', pp. 266-7)

* On Wednesday, 12 September, apparently out of the blue, senior Freemason Edward Smethurst, who coincidentally had been holidaying in Praia da Luz every year since 1999, offered the help of his multi-millionaire boss, Brian Kennedy

* On Friday, 14 September, Angus McBride drove up again from London to Rothley to take the McCanns to a meeting with Brian Kennedy, Edward Smethurst and a battery of lawyers. During that same afternoon, "Discussions between ourselves, Brian [Kennedy] and Ed [Smethurst], our lawyers and representatives from Control Risks continued..." ('madeleine', p. 269). Then McBride drove them home again. A round trip of about 600 miles for him that day

* On Thursday, 20 September, they met with an even bigger battery of lawyers, including - having flown over from Portugal especially for this occasion, two Portuguese lawyers, Carlos Pinto de Abreu and Rogerio Alves.


Would be fascinating to find out the whole truth about who paid all these high-fee-charging people...

Ah, not forgetting Angus.

Angus McBride........................who defended now convicted.PAEDOPHILE Chris Langham!

The McCanns tell the whole world that their child could be in hands of paedophile then HIRE a solicitor that DEFENDS paedophiles!

Weird, innit?

MissDaisy wrote:

Woofer wrote:Goncalo made reference to the bombings in Ireland where the FSS may have manipulated data.
 
“We have no doubts, and this was discussed even at the level of Portuguese justice, at the level of the Public Ministry, that there was an alteration at the English lab. The data was manipulated. The FSS, the British lab, which was already questioned over several situations, even concerning the IRA in Ireland, over bomb attacks, those traces, that way to find the DNA, to examine the DNA with low copy number, was called into question relating to traces found on a bomb in an Irish case. And that lab was called into question.”
 
Was he suggesting that the RUC had a connection to the FSS and was manipulating data to discredit the IRA?

http://themaddiecasefiles.com/topic21993.html

 You might also be interested in this . 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-482662/McCanns-hire-Omagh-bomb-expert-carry-independent-DNA-tests.html


There are so many Irish connections in this case.

Thanks Miss Daisy. This must be the case GA was referring to.  Sean Hoey was accused of the Omagh bomings - he was a member of the real IRA.  It must have been the RUC that got the FSS to provide evidence against Sean Hoey using their LCN DNA testing technique.   But Sean Hoey`s defence solicitor, Peter Corrigan, got Sean Hoey off by throwing doubt on LCN testing.  Peter Corrigan later said he has been contacted by Kingsley Knapley, the McCann`s solicitors, to assist in disproving LCN testing I suspect.  But Kingsley Knapley denied they contacted Peter Corrigan.  Anyhow, its just an extra tit-bit that suggests the close connection between the RUC and the FSS.

Woofer wrote:

MissDaisy wrote:

Woofer wrote:Goncalo made reference to the bombings in Ireland where the FSS may have manipulated data.
 
“We have no doubts, and this was discussed even at the level of Portuguese justice, at the level of the Public Ministry, that there was an alteration at the English lab. The data was manipulated. The FSS, the British lab, which was already questioned over several situations, even concerning the IRA in Ireland, over bomb attacks, those traces, that way to find the DNA, to examine the DNA with low copy number, was called into question relating to traces found on a bomb in an Irish case. And that lab was called into question.”
 
Was he suggesting that the RUC had a connection to the FSS and was manipulating data to discredit the IRA?

http://themaddiecasefiles.com/topic21993.html

 You might also be interested in this . 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-482662/McCanns-hire-Omagh-bomb-expert-carry-independent-DNA-tests.html


There are so many Irish connections in this case.

Thanks Miss Daisy. This must be the case GA was referring to.  Sean Hoey was accused of the Omagh bomings - he was a member of the real IRA.  It must have been the RUC that got the FSS to provide evidence against Sean Hoey using their LCN DNA testing technique.   But Sean Hoey`s defence solicitor, Peter Corrigan, got Sean Hoey off by throwing doubt on LCN testing.  Peter Corrigan later said he has been contacted by Kingsley Knapley, the McCann`s solicitors, to assist in disproving LCN testing I suspect.  But Kingsley Knapley denied they contacted Peter Corrigan.  Anyhow, its just an extra tit-bit that suggests the close connection between the RUC and the FSS.

Is Corrigan a common name at all. There's the name coincidence of that Clara Corrigan, stabbed by the 22 year old youth in the Algarve, claiming as he did it, that he killed Maddie McCann.   

bobbin corrigan is a popular surname in Ireland so not necessarily linked.

Woofer wrote:

MissDaisy wrote:

Woofer wrote:Goncalo made reference to the bombings in Ireland where the FSS may have manipulated data.
 
“We have no doubts, and this was discussed even at the level of Portuguese justice, at the level of the Public Ministry, that there was an alteration at the English lab. The data was manipulated. The FSS, the British lab, which was already questioned over several situations, even concerning the IRA in Ireland, over bomb attacks, those traces, that way to find the DNA, to examine the DNA with low copy number, was called into question relating to traces found on a bomb in an Irish case. And that lab was called into question.”
 
Was he suggesting that the RUC had a connection to the FSS and was manipulating data to discredit the IRA?

http://themaddiecasefiles.com/topic21993.html

 You might also be interested in this . 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-482662/McCanns-hire-Omagh-bomb-expert-carry-independent-DNA-tests.html


There are so many Irish connections in this case.

Thanks Miss Daisy. This must be the case GA was referring to.  Sean Hoey was accused of the Omagh bomings - he was a member of the real IRA.  It must have been the RUC that got the FSS to provide evidence against Sean Hoey using their LCN DNA testing technique.   But Sean Hoey`s defence solicitor, Peter Corrigan, got Sean Hoey off by throwing doubt on LCN testing.  Peter Corrigan later said he has been contacted by Kingsley Knapley, the McCann`s solicitors, to assist in disproving LCN testing I suspect.  But Kingsley Knapley denied they contacted Peter Corrigan.  Anyhow, its just an extra tit-bit that suggests the close connection between the RUC and the FSS.

Woofer, if you've been reading about Sean Hoey, you'll probably be interested to read about David Rupert, the American FBI informant who used FBI funds to lease a pub in Ireland. He was a key witness in the Omagh trial.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/mar/24/northernireland2
It's incredible what goes on.