FOI answer From Leicestershire Police

I would like information regarding an accusation against David Payne and Gerry McCann that they were involved in inappropriate behaviour in relation to 2 minors on 2 occasions made to the Leicester police in May 2007 by 2 close Dr friends of Kate and Gerry McCann. The accusation is available on the released DVD case files of the Portuguese police in the investigation of the disappearance of Madeleine Beth McCann on the 3rd of May 2007.

The accusation although detailed in the DVD, it does not however state what if any investigative work was carried out in this case or why the information was withheld from the Portuguese police for a period or around 5 months.

A SERIES OF SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE PUBLIC IN DR AMARALS BOOK " A VERDADE DA MENTIRA". THESE ALLEGATIONS RAISE SERIOUS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ROLE AND INTENTIONS OF BRITISH POLICE FORCES AND JUSTICE AUTHORITIES DURING THE COURSE OF THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MADELEINE MCCANN ON 3RD MAY 2007 IN THE ALGARVE.

THESE ALLEGATIONS ARE ACCORDING TO THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK CONTAINED IN THE INVESTIGATION FILES OF THE INQUIRY NOW ARCHIVED BY THE PORTUGUESE AUTHORITIES AND AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION BY INTERESTED PARTIES FROM MID AUGUST.

IT WOULD APPEAR PERTINENT TO SEEK CLARIFICATION IF THE SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS CONTAINED IN THE MENTIONED BOOK, SUGGESTING UNDUE INTERFERENCE AND DELIBERATE LACK OF COOPERATION BY BRITISH AUTHORITIES ARE FOUNDED OR NOT. SHOULD THESE ALLEGATIONS BE UNFOUNDED IT IS PERTINENT TO ALSO SEEK CLARIFICATION IF THE BRITISH AUTHORITIES MENTIONED IN THESE ALLEGATIONS WILL CHALLENGE THEM.

BELOW IS A LIST OF THE QUESTIONS RAISED BY THE BOOK AND THAT WOULD MERIT A CLARIFICATION:

A. BRITISH POLICE FORCES HAVE HELD BACK FOR 6 MONTHS A WITNESS STATEMENT GIVEN IN THE UK ABOUT DAVID PAYNE AND THAT APPEARS RELEVANT TO THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MADELEINE MCCANN LED BY THE PORTUGUESE POLICIA JUDICIARIA. WILL THE LEICESTERSHIRE CONSTABULARY CLARIFY IF IT IS CUSTOMARY FOR WITNESS STATEMENTS TO TAKE 6 MONTHS BEFORE THEY ARE SHARED WITH THE POLICE FORCE LEADING THE INQUIRY INTO A CHILDS DISAPPEARANCE?

B. IT IS ALLEGED THAT THE ESS HAS PRODUCED CONTRADICTORY INTERPRETATIONS AS TO THE RESULTS OF THE TESTS CARRIED OUT ON VESTIGES FOUND IN THE APARTMENT AND RENTAL CAR USED BY THE MCCANN FAMILY WHILST IN THE ALGARVE. IT IS FURTHER ALLEGED IN THE BOOK THAT THE FSS HAS REFUSED TO RETURN SOME MATERIAL FOR SECOND ANALYSIS IN OTHER INTERNATIONAL LABS. THESE ALLEGATIONS RAISE DOUBTS OVER THE INDEPENDENCE AND CREDIBILITY OF THE FSS. WILL THE FSS CLARIFY IF THESE ALLEGATIONS ARE FOUNDED AND WILL THE INSTITUTION SEEK APPROPRIATE REDRESS SHOULD THESE DAMAGING ALLEGATIONS BE INNACURATE?

C. IT IS ALLEGED THAT THE BRITISH AUTHORITIES (NOT SPECIFIED) HAVE REFUSED TO PROVIDE THE PORTUGUESE AUTHORITIES WITH THE MEDICAL RECORDS OF MADELEINE MCCANN THAT WERE ALLEGEDLY REQUESTED. WILL THE HOME OFFICE CLARIFY IF THIS INFORMATION WAS REQUESTED OR NOT BY PORTUGUESE AUTHORITIES WITHIN THE REMIT OF THE ROGATORY LETTERS, AND WHICH IF ANY, HAVE BEEN THE OBSTACLES TO PROVIDING THIS INFORMATION TO THE LEADING INVESTIGATIVE AUTHORITIES IN PORTUGAL?

D. IT IS ALLEGED THAT THE BRITISH AUTHORITIES REPORTED ON REQUEST OF THE PORTUGUESE AUTHORITIES THAT DRS GERALD AND KATE MCCANN DID NOT POSSESS CREDIT OR DEBIT CARDS. DR GERALD MCCANN HAS PUBLISHED IN HIS BLOG REFERENCES TO THE POSSESSION OF BANK CARDS. WILL THE LEICESTERSHIRE POLICE CONFIRM THAT AS A RESULT OF ITS INVESTIGATION IT COULD NOT FIND ANY EVIDENCE THAT DRS MCCANN OWNED ANY BANK CARDS?

E. IT IS ALLEGED THAT BRITISH AUTHORITIES HAVE NOT PROVIDED ANY
BACKGROUND INFORMATION TO THE PORTUGUESE AUTHORITIES LEADING THE INQUIRY CONCERNING THE FINANCIAL SITUATION OF THE SUSPECTS IN THE INVESTIGATION DRS GERALD AND KATE MCCANN. WILL THE HOME OFFICE CONFIRM IF THIS INFORMATION WAS REQUESTED BY THE PORTUGUESE AUTHORITIES AND WHAT PREVENTED THE TRANSMISSION OF THIS INFORMATION TO THE INVESTIGATION AUTHORITIES IN PORTUGAL?

F. IT IS ALLEGED THAT BRITISH POLICE OFFICERS STATIONED IN PORTUGAL TOWORK WITH THE PORTUGUESE POLICIA JUDICIARIA IN THE INVESTIGATION ON THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MADELEINE MCCANN HAVE ABANDONED PORTUGAL IMMEDIATELY AFTER DRS KATE AND GERAL MCCANN RETURNED TO PORTUGAL AND WHILST THE INVESTIGATION WAS STILL ONGOING. WILL THE HOME OFFICE CLARIFY WHAT WAS THE MISSION OF BRITISH POLICE OFFICERS SECONDED TO PORTUGAL? WAS THE DUTY OF THOSE OFFICERS TO ACT AS LIAISON BETWEEN THE ORS MCCANN AND THE PORTUGUESE POLICE; IN WHICH CASE IT WOULD BE UNDERSTANDABLE TO ABANDON PORTUGAL AFTER THE DRS MCCANN. WAS THE DUTY OF THOSE OFFICERS TO COOPERATE IN THE INVESTIGATION LED BY THE PORTUGUESE AUTHORITIES; IN WHICH CASE IT WOULD BE EXPECTED THAT THEY WOULD ABANDON PORTUGAL ONCE THE INVESTIGATION WAS CONCLUDED. IF THE MISSION OF THE BRISISH POLICE OFFICERS WAS TO ACT AS LIAISON OFFICERS BETWEEN PORTUGUESE POLICE AND THE MCCANNS WILL THE HOME OFFICE CLARIFY IF IT IS CUSTOMARY FOR BRITISH DETECTIVES TO BE SECONDED TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES TO ASSIST BRITISH
CITIZENS?

I have written and published a book on the Madeleine McCann disappearance and I wondered if you can confirm a few details about Operation Task?

I understand Operation Task is an ongoing investigation and as such you may be unable to go into much detail. However, my queries are really very simple and I do not believe I am requesting anything that would be considered sensitive.

The rogatory interviews conducted on the McCann’s friends in April 2008 are leaked on the Internet in numerous websites.
Are the leaked rogatory interviews authentic?

Were the documents leaked deliberately, and if so, did this result in an internal investigation to discover why or how they were leaked?

On October 24, 2007, DC Mike Marshall emailed Ricardo Paiva in Portugal with details of a witness statement he took from David and Fiona Payne. This 2-page letter was the frontispiece to 2 witness statements made by the Gaspars on May 16, 2007. In the 2-page letter, DC Marshall mentions a time (17H00) as it being the time that David Payne went to apartment 5A.

Was this time of 17H00 correct or was it a mistake and should it be 19H00?

There is an assumption from reading DC Marshall’s letter that David and Fiona Payne made witness statements to Leicestershire Police and those statements—if indeed there were extra statements—appear to be missing from the Portuguese police file released to the public in 2008. Do such "extra" statements exist or was DC Marshall referring to the Payne statements made in Portugal in May 2007?

Did DC Mike Marshall leave the Leicestershire force and go to Thames Valley Police?


Response – No information provided

gillyspot wrote:I doubt it because of the date of the FOI (before the files were released - it would seem). The thing that struck me - apart from the initial reason for sharing this information was how well informed the questioners were as to the real facts of the case and how unhelpful Leicestershire Police were. It does make you wonder who were they working for - the Portuguese Police (lead force in Madeleine McCann enquiry) or Kate & Gerry McCann and their defence?

I will leave you to ponder this issue.

Lillyofthevalley wrote:Morning all!! I find this comment interesting

What must be borne in mind is that at the heart of this tragic case is an innocent little girl who went missing in May 2007. Our focus has, and will always be, to do everything we can to assist our Portuguese colleagues who lead the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance. I would hope that you will support us in this.


Ive come to the conclusion that the McCanns are not protected by the "right people" but by their Fund, this imo is why they are so obsessed with it, right from the start its been about making as much money for the fund as possible, posters are asking were the h*** has all the millons gone.............Carter Ruck has been paid the majoirty of it imo, keeping Amaral, Papers and anyone that dare to question the McCanns at bay that is why they are still free and why nobody dare question the 8 Doctors, its all about money and having the best Lawyers and having a good spin doctor that dare to lie with as many teeth in his head.
If the PT/UK Governments where busy protecting the McCanns and their friends, then we wouldn't be discussing or be in this position today we wouldn't have known a single thing because it would have been covered up perfectly.well done good post
I do think at the begining Blair/Brown originally did it for the good publicity, to be seen helping 2 UK Doctors, when Brown took over he, imo stuck his nose in a bit to much and got Amaral taken off the case, after that this is where the fund took over along with Carter Ruck, once the fund runs out thats the end of the road and this is when the Papers take over, unless that is Scot Yard haven't already.