SO WHEN WAS YARD HELP OFFERED?

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/246744/So-when-was-Yard-help-offered-

Video in link

Sunday May 15 2011 by James Murray

HOME Secretary Theresa May is under pressure to explain exactly when Portuguese detectives made their offer to work with Scotland Yard.

Writing to Metropolitan Police chief Sir Paul Stephenson, Mrs May told him: “Following discussions between our Ambassador in Lisbon and the Portuguese Judicial Police, the Government received an offer of co-operation with the police here.” The meeting is crucial because it paved the way for Mrs May to request the assistance of the Yard.

However, the Sunday Express can disclose that Britain does not have an ambassador working in Portugal after Alexander Ellis was transferred at the end of last year.

In January, the Foreign Office announced that Joanna Kuenssberg O’Sullivan had taken over as Charge d’Affaires until a new ambassador was appointed. The following month it was announced that Jill Gallard had been appointed Ambassador to Portugal, but she will not take up her post until July.

Home Office officials were unable to explain whether it was Mr Ellis who had met with the Portuguese police, and if so when this took place.

“We are unable to check this sort of detail on a weekend,” said a Home Office official. “We don’t want to get drawn into who met who and when.”

What a funny buisseness! The Home office ignoring that there is no ambassador in Portugal and liying openly. That helps me to forgett the French scandal with our (ex) director of FMI

...or when did the portuguese accept it?

This is the main point that Mr. Cameron should have made out when making his unbelivable offer - it would have saved his face, from a political point of view.

Last night's TV news mentioned that the General Attorney's office had been asked about this alleged "review" and they responded that on Monday there will be a statement.

So far there is no indication, on PT news, that the case was or will be re-opened by Portugal, so I really can't understand what's the point of this unilateral review by the Scotland Yard.

In any case, I tend to believe that a Prime Ministre would not compromise his word without a minimum garanty of being able to deliver what he promises, so, altough sceptical by nature, I'll be waiting for tomorrow's news to see what we can learn more about this alleged "reopening" of the process.

Surely there has to be an abassador in Portugal, even if it will only be the vice, who is acting as ambasador? Bit like having a court without a judge?

Government cuts ?

Angelique wrote:Government cuts ?

So who would instruct the embassy staff? When I had dealings once I had to sign an affidavit, and the actual abassador was called down to sign it, so in his absence who would do things like that?

fred wrote:Surely there has to be an abassador in Portugal, even if it will only be the vice, who is acting as ambasador? Bit like having a court without a judge?

There is a new Ambassador, Mrs Gallard, but she will start working only in July 2011. There has been a chargé d'affairs since January.
http://ukinportugal.fco.gov.uk/en/news/newambassador

Cheers. Looked at the site and Madeleine has her own page on there even. There is no escape.

http://ukinportugal.fco.gov.uk/pt/news/005-mccann

James Murray says:
HOME Secretary Theresa May is under pressure to explain exactly when Portuguese detectives made their offer to work with Scotland Yard.

But then he doesn't explain exactly WHO Ms May is under pressure FROM.
Curious.

She definitely says that discussions were between the PJ and the ambassador, and I guess that as she was writing to the Met chief it would be important to be precise about that.
And there hasn't been an ambassador in Lisbon since the end of last year.
So logically the discussions must have taken place sometime before the end of last year.
Oo-er missus.

So was it Mr Murray who discovered this interesting fact?
Or was it pointed out to him by someone who is familiar with the diplomatic set-up in Lisbon and was aware that Portugal was between ambassadors?
Oh dear, oh dear.

Whoever it was who put two and two together must be absolutely FURIOUS ...