Tony was right was he not?

[Okeydokey]

Surely everything we have learned from the current UK police investigation in Portugal suggests that Tony Bennett has been right to rubbish this Police inquiry as a complete and utter whitewash. 

What else can you call a Police inquiry that isn't focussed at least in part on the people known to have had close contact with the victim in the last few hours?

It seems extraordinary that in an allegedly "thorough" investigation the Tapas 9 have not been re-interviewed and when I say "re-interviewed" I don't mean in the cursory way they were interviewed in the rogatory interviews, I mean over several days with each person - following up each and every tantalising response from the rogatories. But according to the Met such efforts would be pointless since it is  obvious that none of the Tapas 9 could shed any further light on the victim's disappearance.

The current UK Police inquiry seems to be incredibly incompetent. Surely you start with the Tapas 9 and work outwards? You don't adopt a scattergun approach which results in multiplying so-called "suspects" and a complete lack of focus. 

I will be very happy if I am proved wrong but I don't expect the Met Police investigation in Portugal to turn up anything at all (though no doubt the usual BS claims about "progress" will be made). 

The rumour from Joana Morais is that Redwood will soon be retiring so one can expect this "expedition" will be treated as his final fanfare by the compliant UK media.

[lj]

Seems Andy's final hoorah might end out to be just a whimper.

Not even the dogs barked.....

[Guest]

I agree with the OP.

A proper ground-up investigation would start with the Tapas 9 and proper interviews.

To me it looks like they are desperately trying to pin it on anyone but the bleedin obvious.

[galena]

I agree with the OP.

A proper ground-up investigation would start with the Tapas 9 and proper interviews.

To me it looks like they are desperately trying to pin it on anyone but the bleedin obvious.

I was thinking that when I watched the TV programme 'Cold Justice'.  The correct way to do a cold case is to interview all the original suspects/witnesses and clear them before moving on.

[juliet]

Jenny Murat said recently she hadn't been re-interviewed - yet any genuine investigation would have to look at Murat as well as the Tapas 9. Has Redwood been told "Find a culprit....anyone at all but the McCanns and their cronies." If so, it is takng him rather a long time.

[sharonl]

I agree with Okeydokey too and for a number of reasons.

1. The review was started because Rebekah Brooks threatened David Cameron (and probably continued to do so)
2. David Cameron said that it was being done "to help the family"
3. The official line of inquiry has never been followed up
4. The evidence of top UK dogs was not considered.
5. The only scenario looked at was abduction
6. The visit to the offices of Metodo 3 and the fact that the met where allying themselves with these crooks
7. Relying on evidence from the McCanns private investigators (who most of have been arrested or jailed for other reasons) and dismissing the evidence of the PJ.
8. The vast number of people who fell under suspicion and as far as we know have not yet been ruled out
9. The Mets' huge variety of suspects suggest that the inquiry was not focussed
10. The constant feeding of nonsense stories to the press
11 The staged photo-shoots in both Barcelona and PDL which only tell us that they were there.
12 The fact that the Met has no jurisdiction in Portugal
13 The failure to question the Tapas nine


To me this has never been a proper investigation and I couldn't see how they would get away with a white wash without being faced with many awkward questions in years to come. I believe that this has been nothing more than a PR exercise from day one, especially with the staged photo-shoots of the Met.

Last week we say Theresa May address corruption in UK policing, it does exist and Rebekah Brooks may know a lot about this. It seems to me though, that the Met may have back peddling and trying to get themselves out of a sticky situation to save face. They didn't bargain for social networking and widespread doubt about what they were up to.

I read somewhere, ages ago that when a police officer at the Met was found to be corrupt he merely faced early retirement.

Was this review set up to pacify Brooks and give her the story that she wanted or to help the McCanns, or both?

[Guest]

I've seen nothing yet to indicate Tony is wrong. If the Portuguese press is right we are soon to see 8 new Portuguese arguidos. Which one will fulfil the next stage of Tony's prophecy and become the guilty party who committed accidental manslaughter?

There can't be a body in Luz, unless it's hidden in plain sight, e.g., sharing a tomb. So the very most the searches can reveal is corroborating evidence. But the message SY seem to be hoping is conveyed and that which is coming from the media, is that they are digging for a body. Bound to be fruitless, but what a fanfare of a show they've put on doing it. Done everything they can, in fact...

I obviously don't know for sure and still have hope I'm wrong. What I would say on the positive side is we are definitely seeing a shift in how this case is being reported in the media. So who knows?

All my own interpretation and theory, as ever.

[Brian Griffin]

I agree with the OP.

A proper ground-up investigation would start with the Tapas 9 and proper interviews.

To me it looks like they are desperately trying to pin it on anyone but the bleedin obvious.

Hardly surprising people have cancelled their hols to the area (according to the mayor of Luz), is it? You might end up getting dragged into it all on some pretext or other!

[missmar1]

I did just write a very long and detailed post on this but lost it while posting it grrrr  

I do not have the time to do another one of the same.. but suffice to say this case has reached massive proportions because it has been reported to the british public almost on a daily basis over the last 7 years.   Imo, the reporting has been going in one direction and stayed on the side of the Mccann's so much so that the case has become too big and too sensitive on a massive scale ( poor parents) that a genuine outcome would put really put the cat amongst the pidgeons in a very public way.
I t seems to me because of the above reason that SY may have been told to put the Mccann's welfare before that of their child -  therefore, if the Mccann's welfare is at the top of SY priorities  then what chance for justice does a little girl have ? 

The K Burly article has given me hope that ( whilst using the wrong words to describe the internet users)  she still managed to get a lot of information out there for the public to read ...I hope its because she may be  fearing a whitewash and has made sure the public is made aware of the issues in this case that it may not have known previously and therefore hopefully more and more will start questioning this case. Another thing, lets hope others follow her lead and get the information out there that the Mccann's would rather keep hidden from view of the public.  All my opinion only.

[Cristobell]

As we don't yet know what the final conclusions of Operation Grange will be, I think it is a bit premature to declare the investigation a whitewash!  Effectively it is stating that 37 homicide officers and all the support staff are covering up the death of a little girl.  Thats a pretty serious allegation.  


We don't have a clue what OG are up to, we can only speculate.  We have however, seen OG kick out the foundations of the 'abduction' story by eliminating Tannerman, and they are clearly not singing from the same hymn sheet as the parents, as they are looking for a body while the parents are still flogging good quality wristbands and hoping for a happy outcome!

[Cristobell]

I agree with the OP.

A proper ground-up investigation would start with the Tapas 9 and proper interviews.

To me it looks like they are desperately trying to pin it on anyone but the bleedin obvious.

Hardly surprising people have cancelled their hols to the area (according to the mayor of Luz), is it? You might end up getting dragged into it all on some pretext or other!

Luv Brian Griffin! lol  Welcome, great avatar.

Yes indeedy, everyone who has ever been to PDL (apart from Tapas 9) are suspects!

[PeterMac]

As we don't yet know what the final conclusions of Operation Grange will be, I think it is a bit premature to declare the investigation a whitewash!  Effectively it is stating that 37 homicide officers and all the support staff are covering up the death of a little girl. Thats a pretty serious allegation.  
We don't have a clue what OG are up to, we can only speculate.  We have however, seen OG kick out the foundations of the 'abduction' story by eliminating Tannerman, and they are clearly not singing from the same hymn sheet as the parents, as they are looking for a body while the parents are still flogging good quality wristbands and hoping for a happy outcome!

Indeed it is.
And it must go further than that and involve the entire Command Chain of the Met, and the PJ and the GNR
The prosecution authorities of the UK and of Portugal
And that is only the start.
The full list involves many hundreds of people, as an absolute minimum.

Like you, I can't make it fit.
I prefer incompetence, inefficiency, stupidity, amateurishness, and general blundering as a theory.
It is simpler and involves fewer people.

[Woofer]

But Peter and Cristobell - surely it doesn`t have to involve the lower ranks - they just do as they`re told.

Say its just the higher ranks `in the know` - if you were a DCI and above and had been told that , say, the prime minister or the prime minister`s relation or anyone else in the cabinet or even a prince had to be protected at all costs, that cost never getting justice for a child, then I reckon they would have to oblige.  Justice for a child would be a no-brainer against protection for a prince (not saying it is a prince btw).

Sharonl made some good points but we don`t know for sure that the T7 haven`t been interviewed intensely.

The only thing that dissuades me from a cover-up is I`m sure it could have been done much sooner and with less fuss.

The McCanns continuing to campaign could be explained by them being involved and in the know, but not knowing who has her body.  That the McCanns and the Establishment have dirt on each other - hence `we keep the body just in case you blab`.

Just my thoughts not accusations.

[Cristobell]

We have the new phenomenon of the 'whistle blower' Woofer - no longer the sneaks of giant corporations, but positively encouraged and protected under the watch of Theresa May.  All those further down the rung will not be forced to do something they find morally objectionable.

I am not accusing Princes either, lol, but the media had no hesitation in showing pictures of Saville with Prince Charles and digging into any possible connection between them.  Who then is higher and more worthy of protection than the Prince of Wales?

[Watching]

Like you, I can't make it fit.
I prefer incompetence, inefficiency, stupidity, amateurishness, and general blundering as a theory.
It is simpler and involves fewer people.

And who might be the amateurs, who are incompetent, inefficient,demonstrating stupidity, and generally blundering?
Are we speaking of all of the above bodies you have included in your comment?
Do you really believe they are all as you have described?
It would be equally as difficult to believe that they are all involved in whitewash, as it would to believe that this number of people had blundered their way blindly through this investigation!
It may be simpler as you say, easier to think this, than to perhaps dismiss what 'might' in fact be going on - the whitewash of the case of a missing girl -

When DCI Redwood makes a statement - he is not blundering his way through - the guy is calculated, he knows what he is doing, whether it be a whitewash in progress, or carrying out a proper investigation -the guy knows exactly what are his orders.  I lean towards WW.

[Guest]

Like you, I can't make it fit.
I prefer incompetence, inefficiency, stupidity, amateurishness, and general blundering as a theory.
It is simpler and involves fewer people.

But what if they were given a remit at the start.

"Out of bounds".

[Woofer]

But Peter and Cristobell - surely it doesn`t have to involve the lower ranks - they just do as they`re told.

Say its just the higher ranks `in the know` - if you were a DCI and above and had been told that , say, the prime minister or the prime minister`s relation or anyone else in the cabinet or even a prince had to be protected at all costs, that cost never getting justice for a child, then I reckon they would have to oblige.  Justice for a child would be a no-brainer against protection for a prince (not saying it is a prince btw).

Sharonl made some good points but we don`t know for sure that the T7 haven`t been interviewed intensely.

The only thing that dissuades me from a cover-up is I`m sure it could have been done much sooner and with less fuss.

The McCanns continuing to campaign could be explained by them being involved and in the know, but not knowing who has her body.  That the McCanns and the Establishment have dirt on each other - hence `we keep the body just in case you blab`.

Just my thoughts not accusations.

We have the new phenomenon of the 'whistle blower' Woofer - no longer the sneaks of giant corporations, but positively encouraged and protected under the watch of Theresa May.  All those further down the rung will not be forced to do something they find morally objectionable.

I am not accusing Princes either, lol, but the media had no hesitation in showing pictures of Saville with Prince Charles and digging into any possible connection between them.  Who then is higher and more worthy of protection than the Prince of Wales?

Cristobell - you prevent my pessimism sinking to an all time low - keep it up  

[russiandoll]

Like you, I can't make it fit.
I prefer incompetence, inefficiency, stupidity, amateurishness, and general blundering as a theory.
It is simpler and involves fewer people.

But what if they were given a remit at the start.

"Out of bounds".

 I do not see evidence but speculation for out of bounds. I see evidence for panic, doing things on the hoof, reacting to developments and a lot of retro- fitting and also evidence of plain dishonesty.

[aiyoyo]

It's too premature to say whether TB is right or wrong.

Let's wait and see what pans out.

Until the SY show their hands, we can only guesspeculate.

[Liz Eagles]

I see nothing wrong in kicking against the pricks.

What's wrong with prodding at the historical corruption within the Met as Tony does and highlighting areas of discrepency he sees in the Madeleine investigation?

It's only justice for Madeleine that matters to Tony. It's not about being right or saying 'I told you'.

It's Tony's contribution. No-one needs to agree with it or disagree with it but it's full to the brim of interesting information. What is taken from that information is up to the individual but Scotland Yard need to know that people won't accept a whitewash if that is what they have in mind.

Just my opinion.

[Cristobell]

I see nothing wrong in kicking against the pricks.

What's wrong with prodding at the historical corruption within the Met as Tony does and highlighting areas of discrepency he sees in the Madeleine investigation?

It's only justice for Madeleine that matters to Tony. It's not about being right or saying 'I told you'.

It's Tony's contribution. No-one needs to agree with it or disagree with it but it's full to the brim of interesting information. What is taken from that information is up to the individual but Scotland Yard need to know that people won't accept a whitewash if that is what they have in mind.

Just my opinion.

Well said Aquila, and I agree with you.  If it were not for people like Tony, who knows what the authorities would get away with.  In fact I would go further and say, its because of people like Tony, that this cannot be a whitewash.  

The hard work of Tony, Petermac etc, have given us so much insight into this case, and imo, makes this one of the most informative and valid Madeleine sites on the net, and my disagreement with him on the Smith family sighting in no way detracts from my respect for his work.

[Latetothecase]

Well, princes is interesting, as Big Ears' son chose to marry the niece of a former Ibizan resident who had a front page NOTW expose boasting on tape he could get fresh young girls for them

[plebgate]

Well, princes is interesting, as Big Ears' son chose to marry the niece of a former Ibizan resident who had a front page NOTW expose boasting on tape he could get fresh young girls for them

would like to read that please LOTC, is there a link?

[HelenMeg]

I still sit on the fence but feel increasingly optimistic this is not a whitewash.

The government who politically interfered back in 2007 are no longer able to. CM is shockingly quiet and that maybe because he is now a budding potential  Conservative MP (OK no way).
The person who holds the reins is surely DC.  Why would DC authorise a review if he wanted a WW? I cant see any good reason for a review if he wanted a WW. It would not make any sense unless the review
was done behind the scenes. As others have said and implied, if the intention was to cover up the guilty parties, there would have been no review and G and K would have been kept quiet for the last few years.

[Woofer]

Well, princes is interesting, as Big Ears' son chose to marry the niece of a former Ibizan resident who had a front page NOTW expose boasting on tape he could get fresh young girls for them

would like to read that please LOTC, is there a link?

I think that refers to Gary Goldsmith, exposed by the MSM for supposedly being a coke user and provider of prostitutes for his guests plus his hedonistic lifestyle.  Can`t find the original NOTW article but this one was in the DM last year when he married a fraudster.

[Okeydokey]

As we don't yet know what the final conclusions of Operation Grange will be, I think it is a bit premature to declare the investigation a whitewash!  Effectively it is stating that 37 homicide officers and all the support staff are covering up the death of a little girl. Thats a pretty serious allegation.  
We don't have a clue what OG are up to, we can only speculate.  We have however, seen OG kick out the foundations of the 'abduction' story by eliminating Tannerman, and they are clearly not singing from the same hymn sheet as the parents, as they are looking for a body while the parents are still flogging good quality wristbands and hoping for a happy outcome!

Indeed it is.
And it must go further than that and involve the entire Command Chain of the Met, and the PJ and the GNR
The prosecution authorities of the UK and of Portugal
And that is only the start.
The full list involves many hundreds of people, as an absolute minimum.

Like you, I can't make it fit.
I prefer incompetence, inefficiency, stupidity, amateurishness, and general blundering as a theory.
It is simpler and involves fewer people.

The PJ investigation is a separate matter.

The Met Police investigation, well that's the equivalent of being told to write the biography of Winston Churchill without mentioning Stalin, Roosevelt,  De Gaulle... or his mother for that matter.

The Met Police was clearly set up with a political purpose (which was why Theresa May fought it for some time), and was based on exclusion of the Tapas 9 as potential suspects. Whatever you think of the McCanns, that makes absolutely no sense in terms of police work, especially since we know how often such cases of claimed abduction end up being shown to have parental involvement or involvement of non-parents with access to the child.

[tiny]

Its not over till the fat lady sings  I was once firmly on the whitewash side, but I really don't know which way this case is going to go now,but for once I hope
Tony is wrong  and that justice for Madeleine will be achieved and not by a dead patsy .

[Woofer]

Well, princes is interesting, as Big Ears' son chose to marry the niece of a former Ibizan resident who had a front page NOTW expose boasting on tape he could get fresh young girls for them

would like to read that please LOTC, is there a link?

I think that refers to Gary Goldsmith, exposed by the MSM for supposedly being a coke user and provider of prostitutes for his guests plus his hedonistic lifestyle.  Can`t find the original NOTW article but this one was in the DM last year when he married a fraudster.

Forgot to post the link:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

[Watching]

Its not over till the fat lady sings  I was once firmly on the whitewash side, but I really don't know which way this case is going to go now,but for once I hope
Tony is wrong  and that justice for Madeleine will be achieved and not by a dead patsy .

I lean towards WW.  Hope that it isn't.  Hope too as you do that the perpetrators are held responsible, and not a dead patsy. Seems with every new piece of information, we are swayed one way then another.  Most of all I hope that Maddie's remains are found and she is properly and respectfully laid to rest, that justice for her is done.  I pray for the little twin children the suffering this must have brought them and for what they may have to next endure.

[HelenMeg]

Its not over till the fat lady sings  I was once firmly on the whitewash side, but I really don't know which way this case is going to go now,but for once I hope
Tony is wrong  and that justice for Madeleine will be achieved and not by a dead patsy .

I lean towards WW.  Hope that it isn't.  Hope too as you do that the perpetrators are held responsible, and not a dead patsy. Seems with every new piece of information, we are swayed one way then another.  Most of all I hope that Maddie's remains are found and she is properly and respectfully laid to rest, that justice for her is done.  I pray for the little twin children the suffering this must have brought them and for what they may have to next endure.

I hope for a swift conclusion and justice. If SY do 'whitewash' this then it wont be over. Someone somewhere will speak up. The forces will re-group.