GONCALO AMARAL INTERVIEW

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Gonçalo Amaral: "The executive power is increasing its influence over the judicial"

25 February 2010 | Posted by
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by Benedita Oliveira

This Friday evening, Gonçalo Amaral will be in Coimbra, invited by “Campeão das Províncias”. The former Polícia Judiciária inspector will lead the second session of the “Province Evenings” cycle that takes place at the restaurant of the Coimbra camping park, in Portela.

In an interview to our newspaper, Gonçalo Amaral regrets that the “performance of justice is dangerously slipping into media exposure” and that there is an increasing “baleful influence of executive power over judicial power”.

Campeão das Províncias (CP) – Could one say that you are a ‘beirão’ [a native of the Portuguese region of Beiras] who is impelled by determination?

Gonçalo Amaral (GA) – There are no doubts left about that. I was born in Beira Alta (Torredeita – Viseu), I came to Lisbon at a young age, within a migratory movement that populated the capital. Nevertheless, I never lost my origins and my roots, and I never stopped being in touch with the region and with its inhabitants. I am proud to have been born in Beira and to have apprehended its stance in life, a very determined stance that has nothing to do with obsession.

CP – You have always bet on academic education throughout your career. Are you a man of diversified interests?

GA – I am a simple and humble man with strong beliefs. I defend principles and values that should shape our society, like the search for material truth and the performance of justice. My interests, while diversified, are based on respect and solidarity with other people, with a good dose of common sense.

CP – How would you describe the period during which you were a PJ inspector?

GA – It was a period of learning and a great contribution towards the performance and the making of the principles that I mentioned above. We are aware of the fact that we serve the State and society.

CP – Do you have an unfulfilled dream?

GA – I have the dream of actively contributing towards the well-being and the fulfilment of dreams of helpless, abandoned, mistreated and abused children. I believe that I still have a strong contribution to make in that area, which may include creating a foundation to support those children, and possibly teenagers in our country.

CP – Do you feel penalized or the victim of injustice with all the media exposure from the Maddie case?

GA – No! Unfortunately, I am starting to understand that the performance of justice is dangerously slipping into media exposure. Which is not good for justice.

CP – Were you surprised about the McCann couple’s commitment to remove your book about the case, from the market?

GA – The timing of the injunction was surprising. I remind you of the fact that in August of 2008, the couple stated that my book was innocuous, that it brought nothing new and that they weren’t thinking about suing anyone. It is legitimate to ask why they did it one year later, when the book wasn’t selling anymore.

CP – The child’s parents allege that there are several leads that were not followed. Do you think the reopening of the process is possible?

GA – The child’s parents talk about pseudo leads, that are always related to the abduction theory. I remind you that they “demanded” the archiving of the process, in 2008, when they were arguidos, merely to defend their image. They are not interested in the reopening of the process or of the investigation, where all hypotheses remain open, from a voluntary disappearance up to homicide, like the Public Ministry mentions in the archiving dispatch. They are only interested in the defence of their image.

CP – Do you still consider that Portugal is a country with freedom of expression?

GA – Portugal is a country with freedom of expression, insofar as there is no previous censorship or editorial prohibitions that emanate from the State’s executive body, which is to say, our governments, after the [revolution of] 25th of April [1974], did not create any institutions that limit the exercise of freedom of expression. Nonetheless, the judicial system, through injunctions, has been the target of attempts to limit freedom of expression, through the tenebrous instrument that is an injunction. This juridical instrument allows for the limitation of fundamental rights without the possibility of contradiction, which becomes baleful for our democracy.

CP – What is your opinion about the Portuguese judicial system?

GA – The justice system has serious problems of inefficiency and inefficacy. On the other hand, within the model of separation of powers, there is an increase in a baleful influence of the executive power over the judicial power. The independence and the irresponsibility of the judicial magistrates is at stake, because of some media exposed cases, with premature changes in the penal and penal process laws.

CP – Does Portugal have the necessary means for an effective combat against corruption?

GA – I think it does! Over the last few decades, there have been significant advances in the anti-corruption legislation. The problem does not lay in the creation of new criminal types, like that case of illicit enrichment. The question is the investigation method. Criminal investigation of corruption has to be pro-active, one cannot await the criminal action and then “go out to search for kilos and kilometres of papers” to analyse. It will be effective and efficient to start the investigation before the action, and to seek the end of said investigation with a possible detention in flagrant offence.


Gonçalo Amaral will appeal the decision

The former Polícia Judiciária inspector will appeal the sentence that maintains the prohibition to sell the book “Maddie – The Truth of the Lie”. Gonçalo Amaral has classified the decision as “fully out of frame” and considered that the sentence is a reflection of “the state that freedom of expression is in, in Portugal”.

The book defends the thesis of Kate and Gerry McCann’s involvement in the disappearance of their daughter Madeleine, in the Algarve, in May 2007.

The former Polícia Judiciária inspector has devalued the decision, noting that the trial was “one more step” in the fight that he holds in Justice, with the McCann couple.

Admitting that he is suffering “a persecution” by the British couple, who has filed other lawsuits against him, Gonçalo Amaral advanced that he is willing to go up to the European Court of Human Rights.

When he was removed from the investigation, Gonçalo Amaral has placed a full stop on his career at the police, with the purpose of reacquiring the plenitude of his freedom of expression about the case.

The book “Maddie – The Truth of the Lie” was removed from the market approximately one year after it was launched, due to the injunction that was requested by the McCann couple, and granted in a provisory way on the 9th of September, 2009.

Editor Guerra & Paz, TVI and Valentim de Carvalho, that sold the video with a documentary that was broadcast by the tv station, will also appeal the sentence.

GA – The child’s parents talk about pseudo leads, that are always related to the abduction theory. I remind you that they “demanded” the archiving of the process, in 2008, when they were arguidos, merely to defend their image. They are not interested in the reopening of the process or of the investigation, where all hypotheses remain open, from a voluntary disappearance up to homicide, like the Public Ministry mentions in the archiving dispatch. They are only interested in the defence of their image.

says it all

amethyst wrote:GA – The child’s parents talk about pseudo leads, that are always related to the abduction theory. I remind you that they “demanded” the archiving of the process, in 2008, when they were arguidos, merely to defend their image. They are not interested in the reopening of the process or of the investigation, where all hypotheses remain open, from a voluntary disappearance up to homicide, like the Public Ministry mentions in the archiving dispatch. They are only interested in the defence of their image.

says it all

if they are such "proud"people then why didnt they act like this whilst in pdl,
all they care about is their image and reputations,
i think they may of spent more money on trying to "mend"their image rather than the search for maddie.

GA – The timing of the injunction was surprising. I remind you of the fact that in August of 2008, the couple stated that my book was innocuous, that it brought nothing new and that they weren’t thinking about suing anyone. It is legitimate to ask why they did it one year later, when the book wasn’t selling anymore.


Yes, it is legitimate to ask this. If they have made contradictions about the book, this should be highlighted. It is not acceptable to say one thing and then do another.

I thought they said something like they would get their lawyers to read it and would sue if they found anything in it that was libellous.

In the end they just wanted the book banned without making clear what they particularly considered libellous and what not.

I thought they said something like they would get their lawyers to read it and would sue if they found anything in it that was libellous.

In the end they just wanted the book banned without making clear what they particularly considered libellous and what not.


i too remember them stating this,
wonder what they didnt like written in the book or if indeed anything they thought was libellous,
strange they havnt mentioned this,
they just wanted to keep a lot of information from the british publics eyes,
but by being greedy and getting one over on Amaral they havnt done themselves any favours,
a lot came out in our press and a lot more will the more actions they take.

Lea , thanks for Posting this.

Mr Amaral quote.....They are only interested in the defence of their image.

How very true, its all about them and always has been, poor little Madeleine is an after thought.

Alpine Aster wrote: Lea , thanks for Posting this.

Mr Amaral quote.....They are only interested in the defence of their image.

How very true, its all about them and always has been, poor little Madeleine is an after thought.

Alpine Aster,
its funny how jon corner knew it would end up being about them,
i remember him quoting this,
wonder why he said that?

remind you that they “demanded” the archiving of .... that is exactly what clarence mitchell said...'kate and gerry mccann cant wait for the case to be shelved so they can get their investigators looking'.....werent they already doing that even BEFORE it was archived...i.e. met 3!!!

I feel sorry for Amaral. He has been thrown into a maelstrom, partly of his own making, if he had not written the book it would not have happened.

But the fact that they waited so long to request the injunction just proves to me, if I needed any more proof, that all The Mccann's are interested in is

Say what you like about whether or not his theory is valid, likely or pure speculation. At least he is trying to point out that there are problems with The Mccann's story - unlike any of our media or journalists.

And he doesnt give up. If they were expecting him to lie down and roll over, or settle out of court, they were sadly mistaken. I wish him luck in the future and I hope he beats the socks off them. I make no judgements on who is wrong or right about what happened that night - but I DO make judgements about character, moral stablility and basic human kindness.

The Mccann's have none. The same cannot be said for Sr Amaral, despite his flaws.

Thanks Lea. I feel so sorry for Mr Amaral and his family. Such a dignified man and i wish him all the best.

welshy wrote: Thanks Lea. I feel so sorry for Mr Amaral and his family. Such a dignified man and i wish him all the best.

welshy,agree Amaral has fought hard for his rights to freedom of speech and the mccs have tried to ruin him,the mccs dont deserve any sympathy after the way theyve treated this man whos job was to find the truth of what happened to their daughter.

Lizzy11268 wrote:I feel sorry for Amaral. He has been thrown into a maelstrom, partly of his own making, if he had not written the book it would not have happened.

But the fact that they waited so long to request the injunction just proves to me, if I needed any more proof, that all The Mccann's are interested in is

Say what you like about whether or not his theory is valid, likely or pure speculation. At least he is trying to point out that there are problems with The Mccann's story - unlike any of our media or journalists.

And he doesnt give up. If they were expecting him to lie down and roll over, or settle out of court, they were sadly mistaken. I wish him luck in the future and I hope he beats the socks off them. I make no judgements on who is wrong or right about what happened that night - but I DO make judgements about character, moral stablility and basic human kindness.

The Mccann's have none. The same cannot be said for Sr Amaral, despite his flaws.

lizzie,good post,the mccs have tried to ruin anyone who stands in their way,
the amount of people the mccs have upset in all of this is quite a few and they should be ashamed of themselves,they dont give a toss about other peoples feelings.

Lizzy11268 wrote:I feel sorry for Amaral. He has been thrown into a maelstrom, partly of his own making, if he had not written the book it would not have happened.

But the fact that they waited so long to request the injunction just proves to me, if I needed any more proof, that all The Mccann's are interested in is

Say what you like about whether or not his theory is valid, likely or pure speculation. At least he is trying to point out that there are problems with The Mccann's story - unlike any of our media or journalists.

And he doesnt give up. If they were expecting him to lie down and roll over, or settle out of court, they were sadly mistaken. I wish him luck in the future and I hope he beats the socks off them. I make no judgements on who is wrong or right about what happened that night - but I DO make judgements about character, moral stablility and basic human kindness.

The Mccann's have none. The same cannot be said for Sr Amaral, despite his flaws.

Excellent post Lizzy

But he HAD to write the book. He cared desperately for Madeleine and other neglected, abused children and it must have been terrible for him to watch the case archived prematurely when he was certain that justice had definitely NOT been served. They tried to trample on his honour, his self esteem, to discredit him totally. How could he fade away into the background?
The book and the fact that Amaral challenged the injunction has allowed so many more facts to be revealed to the public that were largely ignored by the media before. He is truly remarkable. The sheer knowledge that he seems incorruptible is a breath of fresh air. I can't imagine him ever accepting huge sums to remain quiet. I wish we had British police of his calibre.

vivvy wrote:But he HAD to write the book. He cared desperately for Madeleine and other neglected, abused children and it must have been terrible for him to watch the case archived prematurely when he was certain that justice had definitely NOT been served. They tried to trample on his honour, his self esteem, to discredit him totally. How could he fade away into the background?
The book and the fact that Amaral challenged the injunction has allowed so many more facts to be revealed to the public that were largely ignored by the media before. He is truly remarkable. The sheer knowledge that he seems incorruptible is a breath of fresh air. I can't imagine him ever accepting huge sums to remain quiet. I wish we had British police of his calibre.

Well said I think Mr Amaral is a wonderful man

dutchclogs wrote:

vivvy wrote:But he HAD to write the book. He cared desperately for Madeleine and other neglected, abused children and it must have been terrible for him to watch the case archived prematurely when he was certain that justice had definitely NOT been served. They tried to trample on his honour, his self esteem, to discredit him totally. How could he fade away into the background?
The book and the fact that Amaral challenged the injunction has allowed so many more facts to be revealed to the public that were largely ignored by the media before. He is truly remarkable. The sheer knowledge that he seems incorruptible is a breath of fresh air. I can't imagine him ever accepting huge sums to remain quiet. I wish we had British police of his calibre.

Well said I think Mr Amaral is a wonderful man

Thank you dutchclogs Mr.Amaral IS a wonderful man. He won't give up, who else would dare challenge the big guns?
Go Amaral!!!!

being born in the beira alta region suits him. a very beautiful calm and peaceful area.

vivvy wrote:But he HAD to write the book. He cared desperately for Madeleine and other neglected, abused children and it must have been terrible for him to watch the case archived prematurely when he was certain that justice had definitely NOT been served. They tried to trample on his honour, his self esteem, to discredit him totally. How could he fade away into the background?
The book and the fact that Amaral challenged the injunction has allowed so many more facts to be revealed to the public that were largely ignored by the media before. He is truly remarkable. The sheer knowledge that he seems incorruptible is a breath of fresh air. I can't imagine him ever accepting huge sums to remain quiet. I wish we had British police of his calibre.

Indeed.

Its a shame really, that he has that conviction - the one from the other case (which I think is very iffy anyway) because without that, nobody would be able to apply any motive to him other than the search for Justice. Which is, of course, what he is after ultimately. Justice for Madeleine mainly, but also justice for himself. He deserves it.

Lizzy11268 wrote:

vivvy wrote:But he HAD to write the book. He cared desperately for Madeleine and other neglected, abused children and it must have been terrible for him to watch the case archived prematurely when he was certain that justice had definitely NOT been served. They tried to trample on his honour, his self esteem, to discredit him totally. How could he fade away into the background?
The book and the fact that Amaral challenged the injunction has allowed so many more facts to be revealed to the public that were largely ignored by the media before. He is truly remarkable. The sheer knowledge that he seems incorruptible is a breath of fresh air. I can't imagine him ever accepting huge sums to remain quiet. I wish we had British police of his calibre.

Indeed.

Its a shame really, that he has that conviction - the one from the other case (which I think is very iffy anyway) because without that, nobody would be able to apply any motive to him other than the search for Justice. Which is, of course, what he is after ultimately. Justice for Madeleine mainly, but also justice for himself. He deserves it.

Yes that conviction is VERY iffy. And true, he DOES deserve justice; he has been shamefully treated.

oliver wrote:being born in the beira alta region suits him. a very beautiful calm and peaceful area.

Very special people were born here!

"I remind you that they “demanded” the archiving of the process, in 2008, when they were arguidos, merely to defend their image." - GA

Another jaw dropping fact ..... Parents of a "missing " child.....asking for the case to be dropped......!!!!

GA is an amazing man, considering all the abuse he has had to put up with, the loss of employment and many attempts to humiliate him into shutting up....he is so calm about the whole situation....and quietly trying to bring about justice.

I hope all goes well for mr Amarl and his family they are the ones that seem to be suffering

Woof!Woof! wrote:"I remind you that they “demanded” the archiving of the process, in 2008, when they were arguidos, merely to defend their image." - GA

Another jaw dropping fact ..... Parents of a "missing " child.....asking for the case to be dropped......!!!!

GA is an amazing man, considering all the abuse he has had to put up with, the loss of employment and many attempts to humiliate him into shutting up....he is so calm about the whole situation....and quietly trying to bring about justice.

Hi Woof?! Woof!
They DEMANDED! Just who the hell do they think they are? Problem is they demand and everyone jumps but why?!!!
Why is it that this couple of criminally negligent morons get away with it, why do they have VIP status and will we ever know? (sigh)

vivvy wrote:

Woof!Woof! wrote:"I remind you that they “demanded” the archiving of the process, in 2008, when they were arguidos, merely to defend their image." - GA

Another jaw dropping fact ..... Parents of a "missing " child.....asking for the case to be dropped......!!!!

GA is an amazing man, considering all the abuse he has had to put up with, the loss of employment and many attempts to humiliate him into shutting up....he is so calm about the whole situation....and quietly trying to bring about justice.

Hi Woof?! Woof!
They DEMANDED! Just who the hell do they think they are? Problem is they demand and everyone jumps but why?!!!
Why is it that this couple of criminally negligent morons get away with it, why do they have VIP status and will we ever know? (sigh)

We may never know, but I would not be surprised if one day our children find out.

It feels to me like one of those cases. In years and years time, some document will come to light saying this person or that person was in the Secret Service, or MI5 or whatever, and thats why they got the protection they got. Get your conspiracy theory head on and anythings possible.


If they didnt have such a history, one might even consider they were in witness protection.

Lizzy, Vivvy.....

When I read this fact in the interview I was gobsmacked.....I just had to use it as a signature..!

It shoes they clearly did not want MM to be found, and that their only priority was self preservation!!!!

It also shows an audacity to be very confrontational with the police from the start...to ensure they would direct how the investigation should be directed...

Woof!