Oporto police handed Madeleine review

**Annabel** Sat 17 Mar - 5:53

http://www.theportugalnews.com/cgi-bin/article.pl?id=1156-9

Oporto police handed Madeleine review
17/3/2012

Ten months after UK Prime Minister David Cameron announced that he had given orders to the Metropolitan Police to initiate a review into the case of missing British toddler Madeleine McCann comes news that Portuguese police are also taking another look at the evidence.

Reports in Portuguese media have revealed that a team of detectives from the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) in Oporto have been appointed to review the original investigation following Madeleine McCann’s disappearance from Praia da Luz in May 2007.

The team of detectives is under the guidance of Helena Monteiro and is believed to have started their review some weeks back.

Police sources say the case has been handed to Oporto detectives to allow for a fresh look by detectives who are close to the case.

The case was formally shelved in July 2008 by the Attorney-General who said the case would be re-opened should new evidence emerge.

Sources close to the case in Portugal have told The Portugal News that they support the Portuguese review in that they hope it will conclude “an investigation which was ended while still in its infancy.”

McCann family spokesman Clarence Mitchell told UK media: “Kate and Gerry obviously welcome the work being done by the PJ in Oporto alongside that of the Met investigative team. They clearly hope that it will lead to the case being reopened in due course.

“There is good co-operation between the Met and the PJ, and Kate and Gerry remain grateful for the time and resources that have been put into the search for Madeleine”, adding: “They will not be discussing any details whilst both the Met investigative review and the PJ work is continuing, but clearly it is a positive development.”

On 12 May 2011 the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) announced that, at the request of the Home Secretary, it had agreed to bring its particular expertise to the Madeleine McCann case.

The then Commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson, considered the request and took the decision that on balance it was the right thing to do. This was subject to funding being made available by the Home Office, as this case is beyond the MPS’s jurisdiction.

The MPS have reiterated on several occasions that Portuguese authorities retain the lead.

While the MPS will not provide a running commentary on its involvement, known as Operation Grange, it is felt appropriate to make the remit available to the public and it is available in the related publications.

It is estimated that Operation Grange has cost British taxpayers more than two million pounds and reportedly boasts 37 officials who are working on the review.

According to the remit, investigators are “to examine the case and seek to determine, (as if the abduction occurred in the UK) what additional, new investigative approaches we would take and which can assist the Portuguese authorities in progressing the matter. Whilst ordinarily a review has no investigative remit whatsoever - the scale and extent of this enquiry cannot permit for such an approach. It will take too long to progress to any ‘action stage’ if activity is given wholly and solely to a review process”, the MPS explained.

Madeleine McCann disappeared from Praia da Luz on 3 May 2007 from an apartment where she was sleeping with her younger twin brother and sister while her parents dined at a nearby restaurant.

Brendan de Beer

Edition: 1156

Madeleine McCann, has been let down so badly in the past. What is happening now is a very good thing for Madeleine, herself and her family. My only criticism - this all should have happened nearly five years ago. On a personal note:- I will always believe with all my heart and soul that Madeleine is living somewhere amongst us. GOD PROTECT YOU MADELEINE-WHERE EVER YOU MIGHT BE? Thank you.
Posted by Graham Perry from UK on 16/3/2012

**T4two** Sat 17 Mar - 8:30

The McCann litany:

Madeleine McCann disappeared from Praia da Luz on 3 May 2007 from an apartment where she was sleeping with her younger twin brother and sister while her parents dined at a nearby restaurant.

Amen!

**ann_chovey** Sat 17 Mar - 9:09

T4two wrote:The McCann litany:

Madeleine McCann disappeared from Praia da Luz on 3 May 2007 from an apartment where she was sleeping with her younger twin brother and sister while her parents dined at a nearby restaurant.

Amen!

This always gives me the impression of tea and cucumber sandwiches on the lawn when in reality it was anything but! They were at a bar in the dark and could neither see nor hear their offspring (Except for the Paynes of course with their 'high spec' monitor). Grrr

**Annabel** Sat 17 Mar - 9:16

From Twitter: Oporto police handed Madeleine review AoLNs22CAAAqsSc

**T4two** Sat 17 Mar - 9:33

The rosary, the cross and the cuddle cat - symbols of faith hope and a professional public relations exercise, along with the McCann litany faithfully regurgitated by every media outlet in the land ad absurdem. Remember Brundle's words though, "Not quite the way Dr. McCann described it".

NoStone Sat 17 Mar - 10:45

T4two wrote:The rosary, the cross and the cuddle cat - symbols of faith hope and a professional public relations exercise, along with the McCann litany faithfully regurgitated by every media outlet in the land ad absurdem. Remember Brundle's words though, "Not quite the way Dr. McCann described it".

Dont forget the 'wider agenda' set out on that piece of paper T4two!!!

Guest Sat 17 Mar - 11:12

NoStone wrote:

Dont forget the 'wider agenda' set out on that piece of paper T4two!!!

Actually the details are a little hazy now - can someone provide a Summative Overview ?! Oporto police handed Madeleine review 25346

NoStone Sat 17 Mar - 11:29

The End Is Nigh wrote:
NoStone wrote:

Dont forget the 'wider agenda' set out on that piece of paper T4two!!!

Actually the details are a little hazy now - can someone provide a Summative Overview ?!

Not so much a Summative Overview TEIN - more of a mantra (in a Liverpool accenct of course)!!??

I Toss

You Toss

We Toss

Them F****g T*****s Oporto police handed Madeleine review 29204

Oporto police handed Madeleine review 29204

Guest Sat 17 Mar - 11:39

Oporto police handed Madeleine review 23324

Oporto police handed Madeleine review 294124

Oporto police handed Madeleine review 613255

**T4two** Sat 17 Mar - 11:54

NoStone wrote:
T4two wrote:The rosary, the cross and the cuddle cat - symbols of faith hope and a professional public relations exercise, along with the McCann litany faithfully regurgitated by every media outlet in the land ad absurdem. Remember Brundle's words though, "Not quite the way Dr. McCann described it".

Dont forget the 'wider agenda' set out on that piece of paper T4two!!!

Aha - the wider agenda! You mean that pic of GM with with the flip chart complete with masonic symbols etc. ? A veritable red herring - or why did GM release the picture?

**ann_chovey** Sat 17 Mar - 12:22

T4two wrote:
NoStone wrote:
T4two wrote:The rosary, the cross and the cuddle cat - symbols of faith hope and a professional public relations exercise, along with the McCann litany faithfully regurgitated by every media outlet in the land ad absurdem. Remember Brundle's words though, "Not quite the way Dr. McCann described it".

Dont forget the 'wider agenda' set out on that piece of paper T4two!!!

Aha - the wider agenda! You mean that pic of GM with with the flip chart complete with masonic symbols etc. ? A veritable red herring - or why did GM release the picture?

Oporto police handed Madeleine review Zzgerrylogistics

Oldartform Sat 17 Mar - 12:34

If we`re talking symbols, how about cuddle cat being one - for all the other members of the Catenian Association ?

http://jillhavern.forumotion.net/t3258-michael-linnett-director-of-the-madeleine-fund?highlight=linnett

**margaret** Sat 17 Mar - 19:33

ann_chovey wrote:

I believe that photo with it's Masonic connotations was a battle cry for help from other masons....

One thing that's always puzzled me about that picture is how did Gerry expect the fund campaign to run directly alongside the investigation? The investigation needed no funds if it was to be conducted by the police.

Of course the obvious questions are why was he planning so far ahead in 2007 when Maddie could have been found, unless of course they knew she wouldn't be and this was a long term problem for them.....

Anyway what are the key drivers, directives and the wider agenda? He speaks in corporate gobbledegook.

duncanmac Sat 17 Mar - 19:41

His daughter, he believes is with a paedophile and he goes looking for a flipchart and a marker pen. FFS

**T4two** Sat 17 Mar - 20:25

The flip chart with the masonic symbols is a red herring. GM wants to give the impression that he is important enough to be protected. Same goes for all the talk about calling in favours and all the name dropping too. It was all done to intimidate the Portuguese police initially. As soon as GM realized that Gordon Brown was getting involved after Tony and Cherie, I bet he couldn't believe his luck. That's when he really started to pile it on with top lawyers gagging the media and PR firms spinning the story. Only my opinion - I do just happen to believe that the McCanns are in reality nothing more than a "couple of chancers from a cul-de-sac in Rothley."

**cass** Sat 17 Mar - 22:39

T4two wrote:The flip chart with the masonic symbols is a red herring. GM wants to give the impression that he is important enough to be protected. Same goes for all the talk about calling in favours and all the name dropping too. It was all done to intimidate the Portuguese police initially. As soon as GM realized that Gordon Brown was getting involved after Tony and Cherie, I bet he couldn't believe his luck. That's when he really started to pile it on with top lawyers gagging the media and PR firms spinning the story. Only my opinion - I do just happen to believe that the McCanns are in reality nothing more than a "couple of chancers from a cul-de-sac in Rothley."

i agree and they were skint im sure of it too , well not skint as such but they did have to have their morgage paid out of the fund , and we all know why amile had to wear madelines sandles . oh and share a toothbrush

**AnnaEsse** Sun 18 Mar - 7:38

cass wrote:
T4two wrote:The flip chart with the masonic symbols is a red herring. GM wants to give the impression that he is important enough to be protected. Same goes for all the talk about calling in favours and all the name dropping too. It was all done to intimidate the Portuguese police initially. As soon as GM realized that Gordon Brown was getting involved after Tony and Cherie, I bet he couldn't believe his luck. That's when he really started to pile it on with top lawyers gagging the media and PR firms spinning the story. Only my opinion - I do just happen to believe that the McCanns are in reality nothing more than a "couple of chancers from a cul-de-sac in Rothley."
i agree and they were skint im sure of it too , well not skint as such but they did have to have their morgage paid out of the fund , and we all know why amile had to wear madelines sandles . oh and share a toothbrush

I think they were possibly hard pushed financially. I believe their mortgage was originally with Northern Rock, a Building Society that got into trouble because it gave out so many "sub prime," loans. Kate was said not to have worked for some time before they went to PDL, which means she wouldn't have been earning anything since she was a locum GP, paid for the work she did. So, a large mortgage from a "sub prime," lender that was probably several times their combined salaries and one person not working would make things rather difficult. After Madeleine disappeared and the fund was set up, I seem to recall reading that they swapped to another lender. End of financial difficulties?

**Panda** Sun 18 Mar - 8:15

I remember reading that the Mortgage was transferred to HSBC, presumably because NR was an Interest only Mortgage and part owned by the Goverment who would have had no trouble getting information. My guess is that they opened up a Capital and Interest loan which allowed them to pay it off at a later date without Penalty. Linnett was appointed as Director / Bookkeeper and it was mentioned at the time that although the Mccanns
managed to set up the Company within days of Madeleine's disappearance, the fund to appeal for money, the Merchandise etc...a Book-keeper ,
Linnett was not appointed until 3 months later.! It is significant that Linnett has not signed off the Accounts since.

My ex Boss at Ernst and Young used to work for Hays Macintyre and reckons they are reputable and wouldn't do anything illegal.

**AnnaEsse** Sun 18 Mar - 8:27

Panda wrote:
I remember reading that the Mortgage was transferred to HSBC, presumably because NR was an Interest only Mortgage and part owned by the Goverment who would have had no trouble getting information. My guess is that they opened up a Capital and Interest loan which allowed them to pay it off at a later date without Penalty. Linnett was appointed as Director / Bookkeeper and it was mentioned at the time that although the Mccanns
managed to set up the Company within days of Madeleine's disappearance, the fund to appeal for money, the Merchandise etc...a Book-keeper ,
Linnett was not appointed until 3 months later.! It is significant that Linnett has not signed off the Accounts since.

My ex Boss at Ernst and Young used to work for Hays Macintyre and reckons they are reputable and wouldn't do anything illegal.

Panda, the point I was making was that they went to Northern Rock because no other lender would give them the size of mortgage they needed and that their financial circumstances may have changed with the setting up of the fund and they were able to swap to another lender, possibly with better rates of interest.

**Panda** Sun 18 Mar - 9:01

AnnaEsse wrote:
Panda wrote:
I remember reading that the Mortgage was transferred to HSBC, presumably because NR was an Interest only Mortgage and part owned by the Goverment who would have had no trouble getting information. My guess is that they opened up a Capital and Interest loan which allowed them to pay it off at a later date without Penalty. Linnett was appointed as Director / Bookkeeper and it was mentioned at the time that although the Mccanns
managed to set up the Company within days of Madeleine's disappearance, the fund to appeal for money, the Merchandise etc...a Book-keeper ,
Linnett was not appointed until 3 months later.! It is significant that Linnett has not signed off the Accounts since.

My ex Boss at Ernst and Young used to work for Hays Macintyre and reckons they are reputable and wouldn't do anything illegal.

Panda, the point I was making was that they went to Northern Rock because no other lender would give them the size of mortgage they needed and that their financial circumstances may have changed with the setting up of the fund and they were able to swap to another lender, possibly with better rates of interest.

Morning AnnaEsse, Is that true that they couldn't obtain a Mortgage? I find that hard to believe that 2 Doctors could not get 100% Mortgage when during the property boom at that time Banks were lending up tp 125% Mortgages, I know that for a fact because a friend of mine's daughter was offered
that rate, luckily she was more circumspect than the Bank. Oporto police handed Madeleine review 25346

**T4two** Sun 18 Mar - 9:48

Given the fact that GM had not been in a position with a decent salary for very long and bearing in mind their career paths up to that time, one can pretty well assume that they had little savings to speak of. The mortgage was probably a 100% so we're probably talking about the wrong side of half a million pounds. Not a drop in the ocean even for someone on 70+ grand per annum. Even if it did not play a role at the time of the disappearance, there can be no doubt that their personal financial situation has played a prominent role in their actions ever since.

**Panda** Sun 18 Mar - 10:13

I read a long time ago that Gerry was earning something like £75,000 as a Cardiologist and £25,000 for Private consultancy fees. and Kate up to £25,000 as a GP. Their home in ueniborough
obviously had a Mortgage and I think the Rothley one was about £470,000, the one next door was sold last Year for about £440.000 having suffered the downturn of Housing prices.

They paid £1,500 for the PDL Holiday, would they have done so if they were as broke as Philomena said?

Guest Sun 18 Mar - 10:25

Panda wrote:
I read a long time ago that Gerry was earning something like £75,000 as a Cardiologist and £25,000 for Private consultancy fees. and Kate up to £25,000 as a GP. Their home in ueniborough
obviously had a Mortgage and I think the Rothley one was about £470,000, the one next door was sold last Year for about £440.000 having suffered the downturn of Housing prices.

They paid £1,500 for the PDL Holiday, would they have done so if they were as broke as Philomena said?

Maybe, if it was all about "keeping up appearances". Kate herself said in her booch that the GP surgery gave her three month's salary (I think) and it was "welcome". I think they were in financial troubles, I wouldn't be surprised if all these credit card statements that weren't released, would have showed them all to be maxed out. A friend who worked for the CAB once told me that the majority of clients who came to them with debt problems weren't low paid workers or poor people at all, but people who earned a good wage. They didn't think twice about borrowing but then if something happened and their income levels changed, they came unstuck.

**Panda** Sun 18 Mar - 10:47

Iris wrote:
Panda wrote:
I read a long time ago that Gerry was earning something like £75,000 as a Cardiologist and £25,000 for Private consultancy fees. and Kate up to £25,000 as a GP. Their home in ueniborough
obviously had a Mortgage and I think the Rothley one was about £470,000, the one next door was sold last Year for about £440.000 having suffered the downturn of Housing prices.

They paid £1,500 for the PDL Holiday, would they have done so if they were as broke as Philomena said?

Maybe, if it was all about "keeping up appearances". Kate herself said in her booch that the GP surgery gave her three month's salary (I think) and it was "welcome". I think they were in financial troubles, I wouldn't be surprised if all these credit card statements that weren't released, would have showed them all to be maxed out. A friend who worked for the CAB once told me that the majority of clients who came to them with debt problems weren't low paid workers or poor people at all, but people who earned a good wage. They didn't think twice about borrowing but then if something happened and their income levels changed, they came unstuck.

Morning Iris, I think you are right, the Mccanns did live beyond their means. When the Twins were born, suddenly the Mccanns were faced with the
expense of raising two more children and a possible £50,000 reduction in income. Why Kate still wasn't working fulltime say 9 months after the Twins birth is strange, the cost of a creche would have certainly not been too prohibitive. Would you go through the Trauma of IVF so soon after your first
born if you couldn't afford to look after your children. Obviously, they didn't know at the time that twins would be the outcome.

gillyspot Sun 18 Mar - 12:05

I can't see how they would have to have a 100% mortgage as here is sale price of their Quenilborough house in 2006.

14, The Mews, Queniborough Hall Drive, Queniborough, Leicester, Leicestershire LE7 3DZ
£300,000 Semi-Detached, Freehold 20 Jan 2006
£185,000 Semi-Detached, Freehold (New Build) 25 Aug 2000

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detail.html?country=england&locationIdentifier=POSTCODE%5E1129464&searchLocation=le7+3dz&outcode=LE7&incode=3DZ&year=30&originalIncode=3DZ

Giving a net increase of £125,000 towards new house (plus mortgage payments made & less sale costs)

Purchase of 5 the Crescent

20th Jan 2006
5 The Crescent, Rothley, Leicester LE7 7RW
Detached, Freehold, -- Beds, -- Baths, -- Receps - Edit
£459,950

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/house-prices/leicestershire/rothley/the-crescent/

So only £345,950 ish mortgage at time of purchase.

In PJ files it states

The house is subject to a mortgage for the amount of GBP 323.493

http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/MCCANNS_BACKGROUND.htm

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