INTERVIEW WITH AMARAL

http://sic.sapo.pt/online/video/programas/companhia-das-manhas/2010/10/caso-maddie20-10-2010-185219.htm




Gonçalo Amaral believes that the process will be reopened... and THIS TIME the words are not coming out of a McCanns mouth.

Transcript/Translation

With thanks to Joana Morais for transcript/translation

Rita Ferro Rodrigues - RFR
Francisco Menezes - FM
Hernâni Carvalho - HC
Gonçalo Amaral - GA
Paulo Pereira Cristovão - PPC
Paulo Sargento - PS

RFR - Why did you want to be here, specifically, today?

HC - Because it's a shame to forbid a man of speaking about how he has worked. People may not like Inspector Gonçalo Amaral, people may not even like his work methodology, however what one cannot do is to forbid a man of speaking about his life. The Maddie case was coordinated by Inspector Gonçalo Amaral, therefore for him to give an account about that in a book was his right, to report what was in the process in the book was a second right - to forbid him and take the bread out of his mouth, in a so-called democratic country, is not normal. And I won't say anything further regarding that. I suggest you watch the reportage we have done.

GA - It's is a joyful day, a day that I see as important. (cut) We cannot defend a democratic system if we allow Freedom of Expression to be curtailed, as it was in my case. (cut) I know about my daughters' reaction, who have been through a lot; and when they learned about the decision - they were the first to know - they cried, they cried of happiness. (cut) For the past 13 months while I was obliged to be silent regarding this issue, while I was denigrated, while my whole family saw our assets being arrested, the intrusion of my and my family's private life, which has practically taken us close to poverty...(cut) Until that disappearance, until I left the police I was an active element in the Judiciary Police. (cut) Then my life changed radically, I went from a stable, comfortable situation to one far more precarious, jeopardizing even my family subsistence. (cut) I still hold the wish - and I have the certainty that the investigation will be reopened soon. (cut) Nowadays I have no doubts left, the archival for various reasons, was mainly due to political pressures made by the English - I have no doubts about that. (cut) The investigation will be concluded, it will be re-opened and it will be taken to an end; and justice will be made, that is all that we want. (cut) There are hundreds of indications, clues regarding a certain event; and it is that event that some people do not accept and want to conceal. (cut)

Reporter question [muffled by the wind on the micro/sea-gulls and sea waves in the background; sounds like] - How does one survive/recover from such a thing? [meaning all that he and his family endured for the last year]

GA - With lots of support, with lots of support from friends, of my family... [visibly emotional]... and with lots of tenderness and love within my family... It's not easy, I guarantee you that.. I don't wish anyone to go through what I, in particular my family have gone through. And I have many doubts that that couple is as Christian or as Catholic as they say they are... (cut)

RFR - Just a small foot note Hernâni. Independently of whatever our convictions may be regarding the Maddie case, here [pointing to the screen] this is a case of Freedom...

HC - It's much more than...

RFR - It's a case of Freedom of Expression, and one understands the emotion of Gonçalo Amaral with this decision.

FM - A man visibly downhearted...

RFR - Absolutely.

HC - I don't accept this situation; the state is responsible for this, the Portuguese state. This emotion carries, very likely, thirty years of an exemplar career. I do not have any knowledge of Inspector Gonçalo Amaral ever being punished on the service of the country, as some heralds of the nation say: "at the service of the motherland". This one? With all the flaws that you want him to have, but he was "at the service of the motherland", and various times in places where no one else wanted to be.

PS - Exactly.

HC - Therefore, even if one is not a close friend of Inspector Gonçalo Amaral it is a matter of Justice to be here and state, it is a matter of Justice to be here and to say that the Inspector Gonçalo Amaral, and in his case I would be, is waiting for an apology of any one [energúmeno - indivíduo desprezível, que não merece confiança; boçal, ignorante - impossible lit.translation] dimwit that has allowed for this to happen. Somewhere in the state...

PPC - There were many.

HC - ... there is a dimwit who has allowed this to happen, because he merely published a book about his job. And the book did not contain any secrets, it contained what is included in the process. If a process is archived then it's public. We're sorry [shortened version of an ironic catch-phrase often used by HC] but that is the truth.

FM - It is an exercise of freedom of expression.

HC - It is indifferent for me who is guilty here; I don't want to know about the Maddie case - that is not what we are talking about.

RFR - That is not what is at stake [crux, point, core] here.

HC - What we are talking about, is, that it was possible for someone, from outside of Portugal, to come in here and to "cook" whatever they felt like! And still add salt, pepper, garlics, coriander and whatever else...

PS - Exactly.

FM - And what does that seem to...

HC - This is what we are talking about! And now watch the rest, I have more to show you.

Reporter question How do you feel regarding these visits by the McCanns? [referring to the recent visit of Kate McCann to Praia da Luz]

GA - On the day that took place, when that 'lady' was in Praia da Luz (cut) On the second of October, just a few days ago... In that day it's my anniversary, and it was also the day when I was removed as head of the department [back in 2007] of Portimão where the investigation was taking place. (cut) I made a comment to my wife - "these people don't do anything without a reason, something is about to happen" (cut) I perceived the child's father as a man who is practical, as a man capable of making quick decisions, and I understood Mrs. Kate (cut) Possibly might have some kind of problem in admitting the truth, or acknowledging an event that has taken place. (cut) The fact that their daughter has disappeared, does not give them the right to destroy any other family. (cut) Stop the humbug... don't fabulate, don't pretend; stop invoking God's name to harm others, because God is above and knows what is happening. (cut) What I would say to them, honestly, if they truly wish to be so Christian, so Catholic, then they should really practice good. (cut) I would tell them that there are plenty more fish in the sea, [Port. pop. proverb "Há mais marés que marinheiros", lit. trans. There are more tides than sailors, meaning. there are more opportunities] as we say here, in Portugal. (cut)

HC - Paulo, good morning, what do you have to say about this?

PPC - Good morning, well I...

HC - You were a PJ inspector, you were his comrade, you know the paths he has travelled...

PPC - I would like to make a question, and this is something personal. I would like to ask those gentleman at the Judiciary Police disciplinary department who have condemned the coordinator Gonçalo Amaral, when he was already retired, for breach of the duty of confidentiality because he wrote this book. What do they have to say about this now? Particularly from the moment when an Appellate court, states, that Mr. Amaral has all the rights to publish that book. They could also have done it to me [ref. to Paulo Pereira Cristovão books "A Estrela de Joana" and "A Estrela de Madeleine" both published previously to Amaral's "Maddie, A Verdade da Mentira"] for some strange reason they didn't when I wrote my first book...

HC - He believes that the process, with new information that are bound to appear, might be re-opened, does that make sense?

PPC - It may eventually make sense if we have new elements, new evidence that somehow allow for that reopening, but above all - you've said it before and very well, how did we allow for people to came from abroad and do this "cooking" [pejorative analogy]? But there were also several people inside [in the country] who have contributed with the ingredients [seasoning] for said "cooking", because otherwise we would never allow for Gonçalo Amaral to be "roasted", excuse my expression, in "low fire" like he was, without being protected, rigorously, by anyone. Except for a few dozen people who know him personally and who have defended him publicly. But, yes, it is possible to reopen the process with new elements, however above all is, as Gonçalo said and well, his life first, of the Man Gonçalo Amaral, of Sofia [his wife], of the girls [their daughters]...

HC - All of their assets were arrested.

PPC - All of their assets were seized, we are talking about someone who has lost...

HC - Did you feel angered [indignant] during those times?

PPC - Very much, yes. And I was recently with him...

HC - Professor Paulo Sargento, something new is about to take place - Maya [a TV psychic, unrelated to the self alleged psychic lawyer from Madeira] has phoned telling me that something will happen. What I want to ask you is - to you who have followed this case with deep commitment [wholeheartedly] - how come no one has ever filled any complaint in England regarding this case?

PS - Well, that is an unusual phenomenon... The first thing that I would like to do is to send an embrace to Gonçalo Amaral, and to tell him that finally there is a first sign of a turn around [improvement] of this whole process. Because this acknowledgement by the Portuguese law regarding this process is like a big rubber eraser who is trying to expunge a huge blemish that has behind it a series of problems. Of which, the first one - and Paulo was just now speaking about the reopening of the case - is to understand of what exactly is the prosecutor of Évora waiting for, let's put in this way, to publish the new endeavours that were proposed, some of which were put forward because they were never fully carried out within the scope of the investigation. And there are at least two points, which under the criminal point of view, are absolutely relevant and need to be evaluated. Second issue, it is something that I would also like to understand and still in the framework of this specific process; three points, one of which is the Minister of Justice that has in his office four emails and a registered letter where it is asked, Mr. Justice Minister [facing the broadcast camera], where it is asked...

HC - Paulo Sargento, you're not going to speak badly of ministers in here, are you? [jokingly manner] Don't get me in to trouble, okay?

PS - No, no.

RFR - But do ask him directly, Dr. Paulo.

PS - I will, it is the same question I've sent to the Minister of Internal Affairs, who had the carefulness to reply, and pass it on to the Justice Minister. Why didn't he answered to this fundamental question - Why did the McCann couple entered two consecutive times, during this same process [the injunction that took place at Palácio de Justiça, Lisbon], by the Judges door [a door reserved to magistrates only]?

HC - Now there's a great question. And now I would suggest that we watch the inspector...

RFR - Yes, let's conclude the programme with the words of the inspector...

RFR/HC - [simultaneously] Gonçalo Amaral.

RFR - Exactly.

[follows a repetition of Inspector Gonçalo Amaral first segment, inclusively during the final rolling credits]

GA - It's is a joyful day, a day that I see as important. (cut) We cannot defend a democratic system if we allow Freedom of Expression to be curtailed, as it was in my case. (cut) I know about my daughters' reaction, who have been through a lot; and when they learned about the decision - they were the first to know - they cried, they cried of happiness. (cut) For the past 13 months while I was obliged to be silent regarding this issue, while I was denigrated, while my whole family saw our assets being arrested, the intrusion of my and my family's private life, which has practically taken us close to poverty...(cut) Until that disappearance, until I left the police I was an active element in the Judiciary Police. (cut) Then my life changed radically, I went from a stable, comfortable situation to one far more precarious, jeopardizing even my family subsistence. (cut) I still hold the wish - and I have the certainty that the investigation will be reopened soon. (cut) Nowadays I have no doubts left, the archival for various reasons, was mainly due to political pressures made by the English - I have no doubts about that. (cut) The investigation will be concluded, it will be re-opened and it will be taken to an end; and justice will be made, that is all that we want. (cut) There are hundreds of indications, clues regarding a certain event; and it is that event that some people do not accept and want to conceal. (cut)

Reporter question [muffled by the wind on the micro/sea-gulls and sea waves in the background; sounds like] - How does one survive/recover from such a thing?

GA - With lots of support, with lots of support from friends, of my family... [visibly emotional]... and with lots of tenderness and love within my family... It's not easy, I guarantee you that.. I don't wish anyone to go through what I, in particular my family have gone through. And I have many doubts that that couple is as Christian or as Catholic as they say they are... (cut)

Ends 11'31''