Algarve Resident/interview Robert Murat

http://www.algarveresident.com/0-47823/algarve/exclusive-interview-with-robert-murat

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

‘The whole thing is daft. I am so angry’

Robert Murat reacts to a press report claiming Madeleine McCann’s body is buried in his backyard

By INÊS LOPES ines.lopes@algarveresident.com

In an exclusive interview with the Algarve Resident today (July 5), Robert Murat says he is “very angry” that news is circulating that a South-African researcher claims Madeleine McCann’s body is buried in the backyard of the house where his mother lives in Praia da Luz.

According to Correio da Manhã (CM) daily newspaper, Stephen Birch, who says he is “passionate” about the mystery surrounding Madeleine’s disappearance, entered the property four times during the night, around two weeks ago, to search its backyard using georadar equipment.

The man claims the machine detected movement and alteration in the subsoil and collected images that he says he has passed on to the UK’s Scotland Yard and the Portuguese Polícia Judiciária.

Birch told the Correio da Manhã that images collected detected that “an object” had been buried in the backyard “60 centimetres underground”. The data was allegedly analysed by a specialist who confirmed the probable presence of something in that location.

The South-African researcher told the newspaper that he believed that Madeleine was buried there.

However, Robert Murat said: “Every single part of the house, inside and out, was checked in 2007 by more than 20 police officers, who found absolutely nothing. They used Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) equipment, which was brought by a Civil Protection team, to search the grounds of the property and the area surrounding Casa Liliana.”

Former PJ inspector Gonçalo Amaral, who was involved in the Madeleine investigation in the beginning, told CM that the PJ’s searches of the house had been “thorough”.

Murat, who hasn’t lived at the house “for years”, said his mother Jenny, who is 76 years old, is feeling very uncomfortable in her own home. “Her privacy is being invaded again,” he said. “She is distraught and I am very angry. My lawyers are dealing with this.”

Referring to the photographs published by Correio da Manhã, which show Birch in Jenny Murat’s garden, Robert said he didn’t think there was any way the man could have entered the property as his mother has two large Serra da Estrela dogs that are kept outside as guard dogs.


Murat’s lawyer, Francisco Pagarete, told the Algarve Resident: “We are unsure as to the veracity of those photographs.”

When asked if his client would be suing Stephen Birch for unlawful entry to his mother’s property or for his claims, the lawyer said: “We are currently analysing the news report.”

Robert Murat concluded: “I don’t expect anybody to be on my side, I just want the truth,”

Birch told CM that while in Praia da Luz, he monitored the property “24 hours a day”, with the help of two “collaborators”, and when the house was vacated he would enter and search the backyard with the georadar equipment.

The man says he does not want to “make accusations” as his sole objective is to find the location where the body was buried as it will be “easier to solve the case”.

Despite his alleged findings at the property, Birch is quoted in CM as saying that he doesn’t believe Murat or his relatives are involved in the disappearance of Madeleine. “Anyone could have had access to the property,” he told the newspaper.

In the CM report, Gerry and Kate McCann’s lawyer in Portugal, Rogério Alves, is said to be following the latest developments closely and admitted he may request the reopening of the case.

The police authorities have allegedly received the data collected by Stephen Birch.

The background:

Madeleine McCann disappeared from her family’s holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on May 3 2007, a few days before turning four.

Robert Murat became the first arguido, or official suspect, in the investigation of the Madeleine McCann case after a British journalist reported to the police that his behaviour during the initial stages of the search was suspicious. Murat, fluent in English and Portuguese, had offered his help as translator to the Portuguese authorities.

In 2008, Murat saw his status of arguido dropped by the Portuguese authorities.

Murat has always claimed to have had no involvement whatsoever in the British toddler’s disappearance and that his life has been turned upside down by the case.

In November 2008, the former arguido was awarded undisclosed libel damages from British Sky Broadcasting Ltd following a video and article posted on the Sky News website. Prior to this, Robert Murat had received 600,000 pounds sterling following allegations in more than 100 articles in various publications in the UK.

Once again, the Algarve resident sees his name splashed across the national and international press and all of his hopes of some form of normalcy in his life have now been dashed again.

_________________

Thanks Annabel - wow!!

Two of these on the premises?

Apparently so Anna...and I googled the breed and it says that traditionally they guarded sheep, fighting off wolves if necessary, so unless the dogs were away from the premises as well, it's unlikely this guy was wandering round the garden!

but what the heck is it all about, can't be a hoax surely, I assume he must have scans of something or else nobody would take him seriously...Doubt the McCann's have anything to do with it though as it sort of blows their Madeleine is alive theory out of the water and that would be the end of the fund...probably the biggest disaster they would face (apart from being re-arguido'd and charged)

'Birch told the Correio da Manhã that images collected detected that “an object” had been buried in the backyard “60 centimetres underground”. The data was allegedly analysed by a specialist who confirmed the probable presence of something in that location.' (from the Algarve resident article)

Well, that's definite then. We can all go home now.....

susible wrote:Apparently so Anna...and I googled the breed and it says that traditionally they guarded sheep, fighting off wolves if necessary, so unless the dogs were away from the premises as well, it's unlikely this guy was wandering round the garden!

but what the heck is it all about, can't be a hoax surely, I assume he must have scans of something or else nobody would take him seriously...Doubt the McCann's have anything to do with it though as it sort of blows their Madeleine is alive theory out of the water and that would be the end of the fund...probably the biggest disaster they would face (apart from being re-arguido'd and charged)

Those dogs look like solid muscle on four legs and I wouldn't want to tangle with them.

tigger wrote:'Birch told the Correio da Manhã that images collected detected that “an object” had been buried in the backyard “60 centimetres underground”. The data was allegedly analysed by a specialist who confirmed the probable presence of something in that location.' (from the Algarve resident article)

Well, that's definite then. We can all go home now.....

Something? If someone went over my garden with one of those machines, they'd find all sorts of somethings! There's builders rubble that somehow just got buried and there are a few beloved pets out there.

60 cm or 60 inches.

Big difference.

the former 2 feet and the latter 5.

If the former,, and if a body was present, it would have been unearthed by scavengers.

I'm not trying to be morbid.

yask27 wrote:60 cm or 60 inches.

Big difference.

the former 2 feet and the latter 5.

If the former,, and if a body was present, it would have been unearthed by scavengers.

I'm not trying to be morbid.

Surely if a body had been present, the extensive police searches would have found it, and of course Eddie was used in the later searches and we know how good he is!

So I doubt it can be a body that he's found, though I'm still curious as to how he got past the guard dogs and what made him search that garden when it had already been searched a dug up on at least 2 previous occasions!

Weird

susible wrote:

yask27 wrote:60 cm or 60 inches.

Big difference.

the former 2 feet and the latter 5.

If the former,, and if a body was present, it would have been unearthed by scavengers.

I'm not trying to be morbid.

Surely if a body had been present, the extensive police searches would have found it, and of course Eddie was used in the later searches and we know how good he is!

So I doubt it can be a body that he's found, though I'm still curious as to how he got past the guard dogs and what made him search that garden when it had already been searched a dug up on at least 2 previous occasions!

Weird

Yes, I agree completely. It doesn't make sense, like so much on this case.

While I hope that Madeleine is not dead, I hope that this latest revelation means that the case is reopened. If the case is reopened, does this mean that the McCanns and Robert Murat,will have their arguido status reinstated? If they do have their arguido status reinstated, I wouldn't be surprised if the McCanns refused to answer any questions, regarding Madeleine's disappearance.

I have always wondered if Kate McCann was asked those 48 questions, when she was still a witness or after she was made an arguido. I know an arguido has the right to remain silent, when they are questioned, but a witness has to answer every question put to them.

When Kate McCann was asked those 48 questions, she replied no comment. So if she was questioned as a witness, I wonder if no comment was classed as answer.

the pros are already saying if true this guy did it ( not murat) isnt that liabel??

Hi Kathybelle, yes I think Kate was an arguido when she refused to answer the 48 questions, and i seem to remember her reason was that she had already answered all of the questions (or most of them) when she was a witness, but if that had been me, it wouldn't have mattered how many times they asked the questions or if I felt that they were not particularly relevant, I would answer them over and over again if the police asked.

But then again, that's what a normal innocent person would do...Kate McCann on the other hand....

Justiceforallkids wrote:the pros are already saying if true this guy did it ( not murat) isnt that liabel??

Not sure if it is libel, but it's totally bonkers that this guy would have abducted Madeleine, buried her in Murat's garden, then went and found her 5 years later..but then again we are talking about bonkers people who will believe anything that absolves the parents

susible wrote:Hi Kathybelle, yes I think Kate was an arguido when she refused to answer the 48 questions, and i seem to remember her reason was that she had already answered all of the questions (or most of them) when she was a witness, but if that had been me, it wouldn't have mattered how many times they asked the questions or if I felt that they were not particularly relevant, I would answer them over and over again if the police asked.

But then again, that's what a normal innocent person would do...Kate McCann on the other hand....

susible and thanks for your reply. I would have done exactly the same as you and so would most people. In my opinion, the only reason Kate McCann wouldn't answer those questions, was the same reason, she and her husband never searched for Madeleine and told lie after lie after lie, to save their own skins.

Yesterday, I was watching the You Tube video called "McCanns First Interview With Ian Woods." The excuses the McCanns made for their behaviour are unbelievable. They portray themselves as responsible parents, but as this interview shows, they are just a pair of selfish individuals.

Hi Kathybelle, yes I agree they are completely selfish and who can forget Gerry's annoyance about being asked again about leaving the children alone and he replied that "this is getting very boring, I'm not here to talk about that" or words to that effect, and was yet another thing that made me believe they were involved, any normal person would have been breaking down and saying "we wish we had never left them and urge all parents to never do what we did" but no, only that they regret not being with her when she was taken???

You want the size of an Estrella, I met one walking my dog the other week I was stroking its head and I didnt even have to bend down, the top of its head was level with my hips, I'm 5'6" BTW. Its paws were the size of my fist with my fingers curled back at the first knuckle, in fact its claws looked like my fingers, it was a huge dog. Two of them staring at you in the night would make you poop your pants.

Maybe a body was buried there after all the searches were completed. What better place to put it? Why aren't the McCann's remotely interested in this development. Even if the man is a nutter you'd think they would still be keen to check it out?

Gerry was sick on 2nd August, they went to Huelva on the 3rd and Robert Murats mums house and gardens were searched on the 4th and 5th August.

If someone did bury a body there it was done after 5th August, and l'm assuming the Murats wouldn't have ventured out much as they were beseiged by the media around that time, so???

margaret wrote:Gerry was sick on 2nd August, they went to Huelva on the 3rd and Robert Murats mums house and gardens were searched on the 4th and 5th August.

If someone did bury a body there it was done after 5th August, and l'm assuming the Murats wouldn't have ventured out much as they were beseiged by the media around that time, so???

that thought had crossed my mind too ......

AnnaEsse wrote:

susible wrote:Apparently so Anna...and I googled the breed and it says that traditionally they guarded sheep, fighting off wolves if necessary, so unless the dogs were away from the premises as well, it's unlikely this guy was wandering round the garden!

but what the heck is it all about, can't be a hoax surely, I assume he must have scans of something or else nobody would take him seriously...Doubt the McCann's have anything to do with it though as it sort of blows their Madeleine is alive theory out of the water and that would be the end of the fund...probably the biggest disaster they would face (apart from being re-arguido'd and charged)

Those dogs look like solid muscle on four legs and I wouldn't want to tangle with them.

What if the Murats have let this guy go on their land, its strange how he has got in there without these dogs attacking?? unless they where not in the grounds when he was doing his bit with the machine...
If this is spin then its very strange spin, spin tht the McCanns can certainly do with out, we even have the UK media reporting it????

susible wrote:

yask27 wrote:60 cm or 60 inches.

Big difference.

the former 2 feet and the latter 5.

If the former,, and if a body was present, it would have been unearthed by scavengers.

I'm not trying to be morbid.

Surely if a body had been present, the extensive police searches would have found it, and of course Eddie was used in the later searches and we know how good he is!

So I doubt it can be a body that he's found, though I'm still curious as to how he got past the guard dogs and what made him search that garden when it had already been searched a dug up on at least 2 previous occasions!

Weird

Was the body put there after the area had been searched.....I still beleave that the body was kept for a few weeks befor been laid to rest, and fully agree with Amaral on this!!!

I don't believe for a second that a GPR survey has been done on that garden by Birch. In the first place - the smallest is about the size of a largish lawnmower and more or less looks like it. Other arrays can be carried on the shoulders but I assure you that it cannot be done surreptitiously.


All GPR does is to plot anomalies in the soil. You can never say for sure that something is a grave until you start digging.
I don't believe this survey ever happened. The equipment is expensive, used extensively in archaeology and needs expert analysis.

Besides, those fantastic dogs! They'd go spare if someone turned up with any kind of equipment and I don't know how big the garden is, but the whole garden would have had to be surveyed to come to a conclusion on anomalies.

Whole thing is rubbish, silly season.

tigger wrote:I don't believe for a second that a GPR survey has been done on that garden by Birch. In the first place - the smallest is about the size of a largish lawnmower and more or less looks like it. Other arrays can be carried on the shoulders but I assure you that it cannot be done surreptitiously.


All GPR does is to plot anomalies in the soil. You can never say for sure that something is a grave until you start digging.
I don't believe this survey ever happened. The equipment is expensive, used extensively in archaeology and needs expert analysis.

Besides, those fantastic dogs! They'd go spare if someone turned up with any kind of equipment and I don't know how big the garden is, but the whole garden would have had to be surveyed to come to a conclusion on anomalies.

Whole thing is rubbish, silly season.

The PJ used the same type of equipment which resulted in nothing.

Final summary extract:

"Searches were performed at the residence, and the subsoil was explored with a Geo-radar (GPR), - which consists of a radar antenna that transmits electromagnetic energy in the shape of an impulse within frequencies between 25 MHz and 1 GHz. Those impulses are partially reflected through sub-superficial geological structures, captured with a receiving antenna and marked as a time record of continuous bi-directional path which is presented as a pseudo-geological record section – e these technical searches neither found nor marked anything of interest to the files "

Was Birch in the right garden? I saw a map where the wrong house was marked as Murat's.