The Mirror: "Madeleine McCann police on trail of five British holiday flat owners -but..." 19/04/2014

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/madeleine-mccann-police-trail-five-3434162#ixzz2zMzvnyJV



Madeleine McCann police on trail of five British holiday flat owners - but they are refusing to cooperate





Apr 19, 2014 22:00
By Matthew Drake


British detectives want to quiz them over who was in their apartments when the tot was abducted seven years ago


Missing: Madeleine McCann

Madeleine McCann police are trying to trace five mystery Britons who owned flats in the block where she vanished.

British detectives want to quiz them over who was in their apartments when the tot was abducted seven years ago.

But we can reveal all five – whose identities have been withheld from police under Portuguese data protection laws – have allegedly refused to allow managers at the Algarve complex to pass their details to the Scotland Yard’s Operation Grange team.

A source said: “They could hold vital clues to what happened. But it is down to the individuals if they want to get involved.

“They were all asked by email if they were happy for their names to be put forward to the investigation – and they said they were not.

“It may be that they did not want to get caught up in such a high profile case, but they could know something critical about Madeleine’s disappearance and may not even be aware of it.”


Philip Coburn / Sunday Mirror
Snatch flats: Five owners refuse to help investigation

Police are working on the theory that three-year-old Madeleine’s abductor spied on her from inside the 59-block Ocean Club complex of holiday flats in Praia da Luz.

Nearly all of the owners at the time were believed to be British and it has been claimed some properties may have been sub-let during May 2007 without the owners’ knowledge.

Anybody with access to certain ­apartments could easily have kept an eye on the McCanns’ movements without ­looking suspicious.

Madeleine’s dad Gerry has said he thinks they were being watched throughout their family break in ­apartment 5A.

Officers are believed to have ­questioned owners of all but five of the remaining 58 flats after they agreed to help the investigation.

They have pinpointed the mystery leaseholders as “persons of interest” who could help them unlock the case although none are suspected of wrongdoing.

But Scotland Yard has been hampered by a combination of data protection regulations and the botched original Portuguese investigation.

It is understood that a full list of owners was never made available even to local police.

Sub-letting at the complex has made ­detectives’ work even harder as they try to build a picture of who was where at the time of Madeleine’s disappearance.


Our source said: “Operation Grange is trying to gather data through several agencies to collate a full picture of who was at the resort at that time.

“They are working hard to gather this information as quickly as possible and have appealed for full co-operation from everybody involved. But they are having to tread on eggshells.

"They would happily go round Praia da Luz and knock on doors asking everybody for information if they could.

“But they are still waiting for ­permission on the international letters of request they have sent to the ­Portuguese.”  

The formal letters are used to ask the Portuguese police to carry out certain pieces of work on the British force’s behalf.

“The frustrations at Scotland Yard are growing day by day,” said our source.

“The Portuguese police just keep referring them to what is in their files and that is not the full picture.”

A source close to Madeleine’s heartbroken parents Gerry and Kate said: “It is deeply disappointing that these five owners have chosen not to come forward.”

Lots of 'sources' hard at work.

These five owners could have vital information,how unhelpful of them.They could have seen all sorts of funny men without realising it.

Andys getting no help at all from the daft Portuguese.

There must be loads more owners of properties that may have seen some funny men as well.

From last May. Move along, people. Nothing to see here.   

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/kidnapper-spied-madeleine-mccann-police-1897649

Iris wrote:From last May.  Move along, people.  Nothing to see here.   

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/kidnapper-spied-madeleine-mccann-police-1897649

I thought I'd seen that movie before!! LOL

"Clarence Mitchell, a spokesman for the McCanns, said: “Kate and Gerry will not comment.."

kate and gerry need a spokesman to tell that to their subjects?

interested wrote:

Iris wrote:From last May.  Move along, people.  Nothing to see here.   

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/kidnapper-spied-madeleine-mccann-police-1897649

I thought I'd seen that movie before!!  LOL

Which movie, interested... My first thought reading your comment was, 'Gathering Nuts in May'.... Well, May is coming and Joe Public are the Nuts, especially those who are challenged enough to believe this carp..


Strange how this recycled tish always appears round about every May....

I suppose Redwood has to justify his salary and the comic opera scripts bulletins he reads out.

'Snatch flats'......that is disgusting.

People have booked into these apts, own them.

So the mirror is saying people that owned these flats dont didnt know they had been rented out....rented out by who, who gave them the keys, more to the point, rent free?

So now the poor owners off the flats that Wont cooperate are 'people off interest' now.

Blackmail.....you dont cooperate your made a 'suspect'.

Depends on the terminolgy of "snatch" I suppose

So its okay for the parents not to co operate, but these people are expected to

Hey Mr Source - would you expect us to consume an Easter egg that was well past its  'Eat By' date?

No?

Well don't try and feed us with a mouldy old fairy story from last year.

Because we're not going to swallow that either.

"But we can reveal all five – whose identities have been withheld from police under Portuguese data protection laws – have allegedly refused to allow managers at the Algarve complex to pass their details to the Scotland Yard’s Operation Grange team."

I wonder why the OPORTO report has not produced anything that would change the course of this investigation which is getting nowhere If they have found nothing sufficient to warrant a trial, or arrest, why not close the case now!!!

It annoys me that the Mirror AGAIN refers to the original Portuguese operation as 'botched'. Botched it was not! It got damn near close to finding out what happened... until the kybosh was put on further investigation politically from the UK, with some Portuguese political interference as well.

Nonetheless, it does seem reasonable for the then flat renters to co-operate with the current Scotland Yard investigation, however apparently oddball, peripheral or flawed it seems. Data protection my eye. Why not say who was resident there at the time? HOWEVER, what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander! What is wrong with the T9 saying who was exactly where at the key time... indeed going over the timeline again....minutely... around the date in question, with those closest to the child and supposedly looking after her and/or checking up on her.

Lioned wrote:

These five owners could have vital information,how unhelpful of them.They could have seen all sorts of funny men without realising it.

Taking a leaf out of Kate and Gerry's book, what's wrong with that?   

comperedna wrote:It annoys me that the Mirror AGAIN refers to the original Portuguese operation as 'botched'. Botched it was not! It got damn near close to finding out what happened... until the kybosh was put on further investigation politically from the UK, with some Portuguese political interference as well.

Nonetheless, it does seem reasonable for the then flat renters to co-operate with the current Scotland Yard investigation, however apparently oddball, peripheral or flawed it seems. Data protection my eye. Why not say who was resident there at the time? HOWEVER, what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander! What is wrong with the T9 saying who was exactly where at the key time... indeed going over the timeline again....minutely... around the date in question, with those closest to the child and supposedly looking after her and/or checking up on her.

The word "botched" bothers me as well, as does another favorite "bungled." At least the Portuguese Police followed the evidence and came up with a theory based on the evidence. SY is ignoring the evidence, and is trying to fabricate evidence to fit their own preposterous theory.

So Gerry feels that they were watched all week, yet somehow they felt it was so safe that they could leave the doors unlocked at night with three vulnerable children inside. Something just doesn't add up. Either they knew they were being watched and would have taken the appropriate precautions, or they never, ever felt they were being watched. This is not something that gets remembered after the fact or with hindsight.

I also find it extremely ironic that the Portuguese could be hindering the SY investigation, when it was Kate herself who refused to answer 48 questions, that Tapas crew who refused to do the reconstruction, and the British Government who refused to turn over medical records and bank records. Now who in fact hindered the real investigation? I see absolutely no reason why they should be expecting cooperation in this pretendy investigation.

jinvta wrote:

comperedna wrote:It annoys me that the Mirror AGAIN refers to the original Portuguese operation as 'botched'. Botched it was not! It got damn near close to finding out what happened... until the kybosh was put on further investigation politically from the UK, with some Portuguese political interference as well.

Nonetheless, it does seem reasonable for the then flat renters to co-operate with the current Scotland Yard investigation, however apparently oddball, peripheral or flawed it seems. Data protection my eye. Why not say who was resident there at the time? HOWEVER, what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander! What is wrong with the T9 saying who was exactly where at the key time... indeed going over the timeline again....minutely... around the date in question, with those closest to the child and supposedly looking after her and/or checking up on her.

The word "botched" bothers me as well, as does another favorite "bungled." At least the Portuguese Police followed the evidence and came up with a theory based on the evidence. SY is ignoring the evidence, and is trying to fabricate evidence to fit their own preposterous theory.

So Gerry feels that they were watched all week, yet somehow they felt it was so safe that they could leave the doors unlocked at night with three vulnerable children inside. Something just doesn't add up. Either they knew they were being watched and would have taken the appropriate precautions, or they never, ever felt they were being watched. This is not something that gets remembered after the fact or with hindsight.

I also find it extremely ironic that the Portuguese could be hindering the SY investigation, when it was Kate herself who refused to answer 48 questions, that Tapas crew who refused to do the reconstruction, and the British Government who refused to turn over medical records and bank records. Now who in fact hindered the real investigation? I see absolutely no reason why they should be expecting cooperation in this pretendy investigation.

Hi comparedna SY have had several Officers trailing through all the evidence from every source and found nothing . If OPORTO have found nothing new why don't the Portugese just close the case.??? The McCann/ Amaral trial looks as though it has been settled so why is Scotland Yard continuing with this rubbish??? Next Month will be 7 yrs since madeleine disappeared , under U.K. Law that will be presumed dead if there was an estate to be administered.

I get where you are coming from Panda. If Oporto have come up with nothing new (and they must have had something to go on initially to persuade the new Attorney General to re-open the case) then they should minutely go over the original findings made by Amaral again. Doubtless new/additional facts, possibly even confessions, will have come to light in the last seven years which could supplement them. Worth another go, I'd' say, after all this time, money and energy having been invested into a reviewing of this very odd case.

Otherwise, stop the fruitless search; honestly say there is not sufficient evidence to proceed, or to say for sure what happened to Madeleine; everything that could be done, has been done; (huh? what about a reconstruction of the evening in question, in the place in question, with as many of those involved, or present in and around the complex as can be mustered, and stand-ins where not!) and we should waste no more public money! NO fitting up! NO fall guys! NO pretendy culprits! NO convenient false tying up of loose ends! Just make an honest withdrawal!

comperedna wrote:I get where you are coming from Panda. If Oporto have come up with nothing new (and they must have had something to go on initially to persuade the new Attorney General to re-open the case) then they should minutely go over the original findings made by Amaral again.  Doubtless new/additional facts, possibly even confessions, will have come to light in the last seven years which could supplement them. Worth another go, I'd' say, after all this time, money and energy having been invested into a reviewing of this very odd case.  

Otherwise, stop the fruitless search; honestly say there is not sufficient evidence to proceed, or to say for sure what happened to Madeleine; everything that could be done, has been done; (huh? what about a reconstruction of the evening in question, in the place in question, with as many of those involved, or present in and around the complex as can be mustered, and stand-ins where not!) and we should waste no more public money! NO fitting up! NO fall guys! NO pretendy culprits!  NO convenient false tying up of loose ends! Just make an honest withdrawal!

Hi comparedna, the Portugese wanted a reconstruction but the Tapas 9 , aspecially Mapilly questioned what useful purpose could be served. She emailed
Stuart the Lead Detective in PDL at the time sent to help the McCanns asking what he thought . His reply was quote "I do not think any useful purpose will be served". I actually wrote to him when he was back in the UK asking why he thought that when by this time the Tapas 9 Statements did not agree, I never got a reply.!!!

Well done Panda for that email. At least it shows that people out here are watching and tuned in to what is going on... or rather not going on! I too have banged off emails occasionally, not to 'Call me Stu', but elsewhere. At least it makes me feel better. I have four little granddaughters aged 6 and under... I know why this case breaks me up, and why I do not let go.

comperedna wrote:Well done Panda for that email. At least it shows that people out here are watching and tuned in to what is going on... or rather not going on!  I too have banged off emails occasionally, not to 'Call me Stu', but elsewhere.  At least it makes me feel better.  I have four little granddaughters aged 6 and under... I know why this case breaks me up, and why I do not let go.

Don,t laugh......I sent an e-mail to Cameron about a week ago criticising the £6 million SY have spent on this investigation and the rubbish they have come up with . Pointing out it is taxpayers money and when is he going to call a halt,,,,I don't know why I never got a reply .  

He's on holiday.He'll probably deal with it when he gets back.

The Portugal Resident has an article online entitled: "British media slammed for 'rehashing' Madeleine stories".

According to the article a retired British policeman, who has been closely following the Metropolitan Police investigation since it began nearly three years ago, said "Mitchell is clearly in charge of this rubbish......Why does no one expose him?"

After the McCanns, their family and the 'pink one', took their cut out of the donations, that were sent to Madeleine's fund, the McCanns  squandered the rest on paying for dodgy detectives, who would make sure they were never brought to justice.

The McCanns didn't give a stuff, that some of the people who sent the money, were people on low incomes, including OAP's. The heartless McCanns, didn't give a stuff that children donated their pocket money or sold their toys and sent the proceeds to them, in the belief that the money would be used to find Madeleine. That's no surprise, because the heartless McCanns are not child friendly people. If they were, 3 children would have  returned from that so called family holiday.

Andy Redwood, is being paid handsomely by the British taxpayer, for squandering our  hard earned money, on ways and means of finding a 'patsy' to take the blame for Madeleine's disappearance.

David Cameron is no fool, he knew when he appointed Scotland Yard, to 'cough cough' get to the bottom of Madeleine's disappearance, that the taxpayers money, would be used for anything, but bringing the true perpetrators of Madeleine's disappearance, the McCanns to justice.

Cameron knows, this money is being squandered on wild goose chases and jollies for the spineless  Redwood and his band of merry spineless police officers. Cameron also knows that anyone with half a brain, knows that the taxpayers money is being squandered by Redwood and his team.

Cameron who is as spineless as Redwood and his team,  knows that there is nothing we can do about it. The only reply anyone who sends an email to him will get, will be the bog standard reply. Along with many others, I've sent emails to Cameron and Therese May, I got the bog standard replies, which bore no resemblance to the email I sent regarding aspects of Madeleine's disappearance. Many of us have commented on articles that we've seen in newspapers, but the spineless editors, make sure our replies are never printed.

The Portuguese taxpayers hard earned money, is also being used to pay for this shambles of a case. They must be as sick of this as we are, especially as they also know who should be brought to justice.

I'll hazard a guess and say that the PJ would like this case to be closed, because they like us, know that there is little chance of the McCanns, being brought to justice. However the PJ haven't the power to close the case, so they will just have to carry on doing whatever they are told to do, by the Portuguese Authorities.

Everyone who has the power to bring the McCanns to justice, all have reasons for making sure they are not brought to justice.

Lioned wrote:He's on holiday.He'll probably deal with it when he gets back.

Well actually Lioned, given the importance of the e-mail I thought the email would have been re-directed to his personal computer which I'm sure he has taken on Holiday   

I'm not going to claim 'special knowledge'... but maybe I am. I do know Cameron, as he is our MP, and I know him from 'disability issues'. He has many faults, including many of his political views, but I know enough about him to be sure he would NOT be party to the deliberate cover up of the death of a child. This complex business originated elsewhere, with the knowledge of certain members of the previous government. I doubt Cameron knows as much about the detailed ins and outs of this case as many of us do.