António José Castela Cardoso, or Castela as he is known in Vila Real de Santo António

Map highlighting relevant locations

Key to map: A Praia da Lluz B Monte Gordo C Vila Real de Santo António Praia da Luz to Monte Gordo: Distance 137 km, 1 hour 23 minutes

Map highlighting the specific journey of António Castela

Key to map: A Casino de Monte Gordo, Avenida Infante Dom Henrique Monte Gordo, 8901 - 908 Vila Real de Santo António, Portugal B Hotel Apolo, Vila Real de Santo António, Portugal This specific taxi journey: Distance 4.2 km, 8 minutes

Casino de Monte Gordo ..........................................................

Hotel Apolo, Vila Real de Santo António

Taxi driver claims to have driven Maddie on the day she went missing, 26 February 2008

Taxi driver claims to have driven Maddie on the day she went missing Jornal do Algarve 2008-02-26 Translation courtesy of 'Demeter' from the3arguidos forum A taxi driver from Vila Real de Santo António has said, exclusively to Jornal do Algarve, that he is sure of having driven Maddie on the 3rd of May last year - the date of her disappearance - at 20h10 from a taxi rank in Monte Gordo to the Hotel Apolo in Vila Real de Santo António. Sick and tired of being ignored, António Castela never tires of repeating this episode, which he reported to PJ at the time, stressing his conviction that he drove the English child, who disappeared from the Ocean Club, Praia da Luz, in his taxi. He says that Maddie was with a woman who appeared to be her mother and three men, one of whom he thought resembled Robert Murat, this man being the one who was seated next to him. The woman travelled in the back seat, between the two men, and one of these two man was holding Maddie, who was wearing pink pyjamas, on his lap. During the short four mile journey, the only words they spoke, according to the taxi driver, were "How much?" "How much?" to pay for the trip. António Castela saw the group leave the taxi and get into blue jeep with a yellow plate, parked in the hotel parking lot and they left immediately. The taxi driver even asked whether the group were staying there and was told that they were not. Sad, because apparently they didn't care about his testimony, António Castela says he has no doubts that it was the English child and that he believes that the child was not killed in Portugal, suggesting the possibility that she may have been concealed in any of the yachts at the marina or that she may have been taken abroad at that time. He also stresses that this is matter for investigation because Lagos is little more than an hour away from Monte Gordo, and there is a "foggy period" of two hours in the investigation, where this episode could fit. We'd like to draw attention to the fact that the "Maddie" case has already caused the downfall of the first officer in charge of Portimão's PJ, who investigated the case, and that until now the parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, and Portuguese-Englishman Robert Murat have been constituted arguidos. Nearly ten months after her disappearance, this new testimony is now added to the questions concerning the child's fate, reported exclusively to our newspaper. António Castela is 67 years old, he has been a taxi driver for more than 17 years, and he is highly considered as a driver in that region.

'I picked up Madeleine with a couple who looked like Kate McCann and Robert Murat the night she disappeared,' claims Portuguese taxi driver, 27 February 2008

'I picked up Madeleine with a couple who looked like Kate McCann and Robert Murat the night she disappeared,' claims Portuguese taxi driver Daily Mail Antonio Castela insists he saw Madeleine on the night she disappeared Last Updated at 17:10pm on 27th February 2008 A Portuguese taxi driver has told how he picked up Madeleine McCann with a blonde woman who looked like Kate McCann and three men including one who looked like suspect Robert Murat the night of her disappearance. Antonio Castela, 67, said he dropped off the missing girl and her English-speaking mystery companions at an Algarve hotel and watched them drive off in a blue jeep. He insisted he was "100 per cent sure" his passengers included Madeleine, four, saying he even noticed her famous eye defect as his son had a similar defect. "She was with three men, one of whom looked like Robert Murat, and a blonde woman," he said. "The blonde woman with them looked to me like Madeleine's mother but I couldn't say whether or not it was her," he added. "I even noticed the girl's eye defect, as my son, who is a police officer, has a similar defect in his eye. When I saw the news on the television I was stunned and I turned to my wife and said: 'I had that little girl in my car!' "I went back to the hotel and told them and asked if they had CCTV cameras. They said they did, but they were broken so there was no footage. I told the Judicial Police but they never took me seriously and told me I must have been mistaken. But I know what I saw and I'm sure I saw Madeleine. I believe she must have been smuggled abroad. It has been on my mind ever since." Castela, a taxi driver for the past 17 years, said he picked the group up at at a taxi rank in Monte Gordo an hour's drive east of Praia da Luz where Kate and Gerry McCann were holidaying with their three children on the evening of May 3. He was certain about the timing, he said, as it was approaching the end of his shift. He claimed Madeleine was wearing a pair of pink pyjamas and sat on the lap of one of the two men. They asked him to drive them to the Apolo Hotel in the nearby town of Vila Real de Santo Antonio, a 15 minute drive from Portugal's southern border with Spain. And the only one words one of the men uttered at the end of the two and a half mile journey was "How Much?" in English when it was time to pay, Mr Castela told Jornal do Algarve in an exclusive interview. He told the paper the jeep the group got into in the hotel car park had a yellow UK-style number plate. He is thought to have informed police after being told they were not staying at the hotel and seeing news of Madeleine's disappearance on TV. Mr Castela is said to have picked up the group just after 8pm local time. Madeleine's parents - official police suspects - first raised the alarm around 10pm although the last public sighting of Madeleine is believed to have been at least four hours earlier. Jane Tanner, one of the friends who was eating tapas with Madeleine's parents the night she disappeared, has told how she saw a man carrying a little girl in pink pijamas in his arms near the McCanns' Ocean Club apartment the night the youngster went missing. She told police she saw the man from behind but was able to give a description of what he and the child was wearing. The 38-year-old marketing executive claims she saw the pair about 40 minutes before Madeleine's parents raised the alarm. Portuguese police have said they believe there are inconsistencies in the statements of some of the so-called Tapas Nine and have asked for permission to interview some of them again in Britain. UK authorities are currently considering the request. The McCanns and Robert Murat - the third official suspect or arguido in the Madeleine McCann case - all deny any wrongdoing. GP Kate and heart specialist Gerry, both 39 and from Rothley, Leics, believe their daughter was abducted by paedophiles and may have been smuggled across Portugal's border with Spain before being taken to north Africa. Portuguese police chief Alipio Ribeiro recently admitted officers had been "hasty" in making the McCanns suspects. The taxi driver's wife Gloria said: "My husband has consistently said the same thing for the past ten months. A journalist from the local paper heard the story from someone who knows my husband. The reporter approached my husband and asked to do an interview. That is why the story has only just come out now."

He says he carried Maddie, 28 February 2008

He says he carried Maddie Correio da Manhã Clue: Girl was travelling with two adults who appeared to be Kate and Murat It was the very night that Madeleine disappeared that António José Castela Cardoso says he transported the English girl, and four adults, in his taxi in Monte Gordo. February 28, 00:30 The man, 67 years old, told CM that the clients "appeared at 20h10", at the taxi stand near the Casino, "and asked to go to the Hotel Apolo", a few kilometres away. When we arrived, they paid and left, but "instead of entering the hotel, they went to a jeep, with a yellow number plate," continues António Cardoso, who then left the location without re-thinking about it. Only when the news about Madeleine began to emerge did the cabbie remember the clients on the evening of May 3. "At the time I noticed that the girl had a dark spot in her eye," said António Cardoso, a reference to the mark that Madeleine has in her iris. However, the connection to the case runs deeper. "The adults were three men and one woman, and the man who sat beside me in the front of the cab resembled Murat, and the lady was very similar to the child's mother," he says. Eventually he told the Judicial Police what had happened and was waiting to be re-contacted. This never happened. Yesterday, however, he was flooded with calls from journalists after the British press published reports which referred to the story of the taxi driver from Monte Gordo. A source close to the investigation assured CM that the facts told by António Cardoso were "investigated" and "the lead was discounted." Note that the alarm about the disappearance of Madeleine was given only at around 22h00, by the girl's mother, in Praia da Luz, over 150 km from Monte Gordo. PJ RECIEVE THE OK FOR THE LETTER ROGATORY Next week an inspector from the British police will come to the Algarve to meet with the PJ to define all the procedures that will be taken to comply with the letter rogatory. The meeting was scheduled after the English authorities accepted the application of the Judiciary to undertake inquiries on British soil. When all is settled, PJ inspectors will leave for Britain where they will be accompanied on all their inquiries. As CM has advanced, initially the PJ want to return to question Janne (sic) Tanner, Russell O'Brien and David Payne, three friends of the McCanns who holidayed with them in Portugal. Only then will it be decided if Kate and Gerry will also be questioned. OTHER SIGHTINGS ENGLAND Last week, a man residing in the village of Stratton says that a couple appeared at his home with a child much like Maddie. He assures that the woman spoke Portuguese and that the girl was very sad and scared. FRANCE A Dutch student claims to have seen at the beginning of the month, Maddie in the company of a man in the parking lot of a French service station. The police examined the footage of surveillance cameras and found it not to be her. ALGARVE The description of an English resident in the ALGARVE leads the McCanns' detectives to create a photo-fit of the man that think could be related to the case. In January, two are detected in the Algarve similar to the one pictured, but both hypotheses are discarded. MOROCCO A blonde girl is photographed in August. After all, she was the daughter of Moroccan parents, and was with his mother.

Taxi driver is sure that he took Maddie in his car on the night of the girl's disappearance, 28 February 2008

Taxi driver is sure that he took Maddie in his car on the night of the girl's disappearance 24horas (paper edition, pages 22 & 23) António Castela Cardoso laments that he has never been called by the PJ "I transported that girl" The driver remembers that he transported them on the night of the disappearance, on the 3rd of May, from the taxi square in Monte Gordo to the Hotel Apolo, in Vila Real de Santo Antonio. The passengers then went to a jeep. António contacted the PJ, but, according to him, no one took any notice of his story. 28 February 2008 With thanks to Joana Morais for translation A taxi driver from Vila Real de Santo Antonio, in the Algarve, guarantees to have transported Maddie, Kate McCann and three men – one of them similar to Murat – on the night of the disappearance of the English girl, on the 3rd of May last year. António Castela Cardoso, 67 years, does not forget the hour or the details of the passengers. He laments that after having communicated with the Judiciary Police of Portimão, he never received a follow up call to explain his statement. A taxi driver, with 17 years in that profession, António Castela has the habit of memorizing the face of his clients. That one particularly, "She was a girl with very pretty eyes and she caught my attention because of the mark that she had in one eye and the twitch that she was doing with her chin," he remembered. At the beginning of that night, António was in the taxi square of Monte Gordo, four kilometres from Vila Real de Santo Antonio, and was ready to finish his cab shift. "It was 20h10 and I like watching the television news," he remembers. Man was similar to Murat The clients approached and asked him to transport them to the Hotel Apolo, in Vila Real de Santo Antonio. The driver did not refuse. Beside him sat a man who was wearing "fine glasses". "He was similar to the one that appears on the television like the third suspect," says António, concerning Robert Murat – who is an arguido in the case. In the seat behind, a woman "like Kate" sat down, between two men. The girl that the taxi driver claims to be Maddie sat down on the lap of one of them. "She was wearing pink pyjamas. The mother had her hair tied and a yellow coat," he remembers, with exactness. It was a silent journey. The passengers did not exchange one word; they did not show any emotions. On arrival at the journey's destination, António pulled out the baby's chair of the luggage car. "It was the same as what the couple usually uses," he affirms. The customers asked him, in English language, how much the cab journey was. "I said that it was 3.25 euros and they gave me five and then I thanked them," he says. Top-of-the-range jeep The taxi driver saw three men, the woman and the child move towards a metallic-blue, top-of-the-range jeep. "I do not know if it would be a BMW, but I remember that the license plate was yellow and therefore was not a Portuguese one," he affirms. The vehicle was parked in the Hotel Apolo car park. António returned to his house with the image of the girl in the head. It reminded him of his son, now 37 years old. "My son had an operation on his eyes because he had a similar eye defect. He also did that twitch with the chin. They even looked like siblings," he observed. The next day, António was watching the television news besides his son and his granddaughter, with the same age as Maddie. With astonishment he saw that the blond girl with light eyes had disappeared. "I immediately told my son: 'I transported that girl yesterday!'". The son, a GNR police officer, advised his father to phone the Judiciary Police of Portimão. "He (the son) dialled the number and I said what I am telling you (to the journalist of 24 Horas newspaper)," he recalls to 24horas. The inspector who answered then asked him if in the hotel there had a system of video vigilance. The taxi driver did not know. Up to today, António awaits police contact to give declarations personally. "I defend the girl as I would defend my granddaughter," he affirms. Some days later, out of curiosity, António asked for information from some of his acquaintances, at the service of the Hotel Apolo. He was told that there was not any reservation for that evening. They also told him that the Hotel had not been contacted by the Judiciary Police. Even worse. The system of video vigilance was damaged two years ago and was not capturing any images. "Also I do not know if they did enter in the hotel," says the taxi driver. Since then, António Castela has been following the news on Maddie. When the telephone rings, he still thinks that it will be someone who is investigating the case that wants to speak with him. When he knew that a certain period of time was still to be explained in the investigation, António Castela immediately thought that this might be the explanation. "In two hours you can travel from Aldeia da Luz to Vila Real de Santo Antonio and return. Someone can be lying. They should establish if Kate did not go away during this period," says António. The taxi driver has been telling this history in public establishments and to clients whom he transports. Only this week a journalist from the "Jornal do Algarve" contacted him to publish what the driver affirms to have seen. "Now they do not leave me alone. Tomorrow [today] there is a team coming from England for the purpose of interviewing me," he says. Madeleine McCann disappeared mysteriously from the Ocean Club, in Aldeia da Luz, on the 3rd of May. 300 days already have passed since. The parents are still arguidos in the process, but up to now nobody managed to know what went on that night. Madeleine has no twitches Clarence Mitchell, spokesman for the McCanns, reacted yesterday with amazement at the declarations of the taxi driver. "The declarations of Mr. Castela are false. They are a perfect nonsense. He can only be mistaken when he says that at that time he transported Kate and Madeleine with three men," he said, underlining the fact that there are several independent witnesses who place Madeleine's parents in a completely different place. "How is that possible, if at 20h35 several witnesses say that Kate and Gerry were sitting down at a table of the Tapas restaurant," he questioned. Clarence doubts the intentions of the taxi driver. "It astonishes me that only now, ten months later, he talks about this. These are declarations that only cause pain to Kate and Gerry," he said, advancing that the McCann's daughter has no facial twitches. "The only mark to report is the one she has in her eye." THEY TOOK FIVE MONTHS TO READ A LETTER The Inspectors of the Judiciary Police are already preparing their suitcases to travel again to Leicester, where the McCanns and the friends with whom they had dinner will be questioned again. The team led by Paulo Rebelo finally received the green light from England. English speak again with the Judiciary Police With the suitcases done, the Judiciary Police is already finalizing with the English authorities the details for, five months after the sending to Great Britain of a rogatory letter, their return to question the McCanns and the friends with whom they had dinner with when Madeleine disappeared, on the 3rd of May, in the Praia da Luz, in Lagos, Algarve. "The rogatory letter was returned in January to the Public Prosecution Office, for lack of completion of some bureaucratic proceedings. It was remade and then returned to the English Home Office at the beginning of this month. Finally, the letter it's already in the possession of Leicester Police and we are finalizing the details to give completion to the solicitations done by the British authorities", explained to 24horas a judicial person in charge connected with the investigations. According to the same source, everything left done is now a mere "scheduling" in order that the interrogations are prepared to the friends of the McCann and to the parents of the lost girl themselves, an organized plan that will have to be ended during next week. In ten days a team of Portuguese investigators will travel to England, they will attend the interrogations, as the interrogations themselves will be done by the police officers of Leicester. "We can only hear, analyse the expressions of the persons and suggest some questions that do not appear in the rogatory letter". The first persons to be questioned will be Jane Tanner, David Payne and Russell O'Brien, whose lawyers revealed the intention of their clients to alter their first statements.

Madeleine McCann was in my taxi, man claims, 28 February 2008

Madeleine McCann was in my taxi, man claims The Telegraph Claims Madeleine was quiet and dressed in her pyjamas By Natalie Paris 11:31AM GMT 28 Feb 2008 A taxi driver has reportedly claimed to have taken Madeleine McCann and Robert Murat for a ride in his cab on the night the toddler vanished. Antonio Cardoso, 67, alleges that Madeleine was with three men and a woman who were waiting at a taxi rank in Monte Gordo near the Spanish border. The Sun newspaper reports that he took them on a short journey to a hotel where the group transferred to a jeep with foreign number plates. Mr Cardoso claimed the girl in the back of his taxi at 8.10pm on May 3 was wearing pink pyjamas and had a distinctive mark in her eye. He said he later recognised one of the men as Robert Murat after watching a television programme. The claims have shocked Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, who have rejected them for being incompatible with the known chain of events that night. Murat was made an official suspect, or arguido, two weeks after the little girl disappeared but has always denied any involvement in the case. Mr Cardoso said he drove the group in silence for about two miles from the Hotel Apolo in Vila Real de Santo Antonio near Faro, with the man who he believed to be Murat sat beside him in the front passenger seat. He claimed the girl he thought was Madeleine was awake but said nothing during the trip and stared straight ahead. He told the Sun: "I noticed her eye because my son was born with a defect much the same. I saw her kind of twist her chin a few times in my rear-view mirror. "I remember she was in pink pyjamas and wondered why they hadn't dressed her." He described the adults as casually dressed and the woman as a slim blonde. Mr Cardoso said he had informed the police of the apparent encounter but as well as Metodo 3, the private detective agency hired by the McCanns. But the McCanns spokesman Clarence Mitchell told the newspaper: "We are dismissing this primarily because the timings are entirely wrong."

Cabbie: The night I picked up 'Maddie', 28 February 2008

Cabbie: The night I picked up 'Maddie' Daily Star (paper edition) By Jerry Lawton 28 February 2008 Cops failed to act on report A PORTUGUESE taxi driver last night claimed he picked up Madeleine McCann on the night she vanished. Antonio Castela, 67, said the youngster was in pink pyjamas and with a woman and three men. The cabbie claimed he dropped them off at a hotel in Vila Real de Santo Antonio – a 15-minute drive from Portugal's southern border with Spain – and watched them drive away in a blue jeep. He insisted that he is "100% sure" his passengers included four-year-old Madeleine and said he even noticed her famous "keyhole eye" flaw. But broken CCTV cameras mean there is little evidence to back him up. Mr Castela said: "She was with three men and a woman. I noticed the girl's eye defect, as my son Dario, who is a police officer, has a similar defect in his eye. "When I saw the news on the television I was stunned and I turned to my wife and said: 'I had that little girl in my car!' I went back to the hotel and told them and asked if they had CCTV cameras. "They said they did, but they were broken so there was no footage. "I told the police but they never took me seriously and told me I must have been mistaken. I believe she must have been smuggled abroad. It has been on my mind ever since." He told a Portugese paper he picked the group up just after 8pm at a taxi rank in Monte Gordon, an hour's drive east of Praia da Luz where Madeleine vanished on May 3. Madeleine's GP mum Kate, 39, raised the alarm at 10.10pm after finding her missing when she returned from the tapas bar to the apartment to check on her.

Taxi driver: "I carried Madeleine on night she disappeared", 29 February 2008

Taxi driver: "I carried Madeleine on night she disappeared" Algarve Resident Updated: 29-Feb-2008 A TAXI DRIVER from Monte Gordo has claimed that he transported Madeleine McCann and four adults to a local hotel on the night the little girl disappeared last May. António José Castela Cardoso said his sighting was reported to the Polícia Judiciária at the time but that he has not been contacted by investigators since then. He told a Portuguese daily newspaper yesterday (Thursday) that the group, one woman and three men plus the girl he says was Madeleine, approached his taxi at around 8:10pm at the casino taxi rank and asked to be taken to the Hotel Apolo, which is a few kilometres away in Vila Real de Santo António city centre, close to the Spanish border. When they reached the hotel, António Cardoso said the group did not go in but instead got into a jeep with a yellow foreign licence plate. Only after newspapers started reporting the disappearance of Madeleine over the weekend following May 3 did he connect the case with that group. The reason, he said, was because "the girl had a darker spot in one of her eyes" and that attracted his attention. António Cardoso also says that the man who was in the front passenger seat was very similar to Robert Murat and the woman looked a lot like Madeleine's mother. The episode, as recounted by António Cardoso, happened several hours before the alarm was raised about Madeleine's disappearance, which was after 10pm on May 3. While the secrecy of justice law continues to constrain any official clarification about the Madeleine Case, unofficial PJ sources were quoted by the Portuguese-language press as confirming the existence of António Cardoso's report in the case files. Meanwhile, according to police sources quoted in another Portuguese daily newspaper, the British police have confirmed and agreed with the enquiry letters sent by their Portuguese counterparts and a British police representative is now expected to travel to the Algarve in the coming weeks. Police forces from the two countries are now planning the questioning sessions to be held in the UK, as requested by the PJ, of Gerry and Kate McCann and three of their friends who stayed with them at Praia da Luz, JaneTanner, Russell O'Brien and David Payne.

Madeleine was in my taxi, 01 March 2008

Madeleine was in my taxi The Portugal News In General News · 01-03-2008 00:00:00 An Algarve taxi driver has this week gone public for the first time after living the past ten months convinced he drove Madeleine McCann and four adults not far from the Spanish border in his taxi, two hours before the four-year old was reported missing. António José Castela Cardoso, or Castela as he is known in Vila Real de Santo António, says he told police of his dramatic story within days of Madeleine being reported missing. Bizarrely, he suggests two of the four adults travelling with the girl resembled Kate McCann and Robert Murat, who are both arguidos or formal suspects in the case. Speaking to The Portugal News on Thursday, António Castela, 67, says he is convinced the girl in his car on the evening of May 3rd was Madeleine McCann, who will have been missing for ten months this coming Monday. "She had a defect to her eye, which made me remember my son, who has a similar defect", explains António Castela. He added: "As she was sitting on a man's lap in the backseat, I could see her clearly in my rear-view mirror she also appeared to be twitching her chin a lot". When watching news coverage in the days that followed, António Castela became convinced that Madeleine had in fact been in his taxi, despite the fact she had been a 90-minute drive away from the Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz, from where she was reported missing. Such is his belief that Madeleine was in his car that he visited the hotel where he had dropped off the girl and the four passengers, to inquire if they had footage of the evening of May 3rd. To his disappointment he was told by hotel staff that their CCTV cameras had been inoperative for the past two years. He said he dropped off the four adults and the child at a hotel in Monte Gordo, but the group entered a blue jeep with "yellow licence plates" before driving off. António Castelo says the girl was wearing pink pyjamas and is certain she was in fact Madeleine. A taxi driver for the past 17 years, he says he noted her eye, "As my son, who is a police officer, has a similar defect". "Madeleine was with three men, one of whom looked like Robert Murat, and a blonde woman," he said. "The blonde woman with them looked to me like Madeleine's mother but I couldn't say whether or not it was her," he said. He told his son, a GNR police officer, of the sighting who assisted him in contacting police detectives investigating the case, though António Castela says he has heard nothing since his initial statement, which he gave "Over the telephone in a ten minute call". His wife Glória, meanwhile defended her husband in comments to The Portugal News on Thursday. "He has told the police and everyone in the town knows his story", when she was questioned why her husband had taken so long to make his story public, which was first revealed in Thursday's edition of local newspaper Jornal do Algarve. António Castela also stressed he had done his civic duty of telling police what he believed he witnessed, and he never thought of talking to the press until approached to do so. Two colleagues at the Monte Gordo taxi rank, from where António Castela operates, confirmed they had heard his story of the sighting. They described António Castela as "reserved" when questioned on his character. Speaking from a villa fewer than a hundred metres from the apartment from which Madeleine was taken, suspect Robert Murat laughed off suggestions he had been with Madeleine on the night of her disappearance. After being given a brief description of what had been reported, Robert Murat reiterated to The Portugal News that he was at home on the evening of May 3rd, and that he even had a phone record of a telephone call he made that evening at 8:15pm, five minutes after his alleged sighting near the border. "Now I am just looking to get on with my life", he said. Concerning possible legal action against the state should no charges be brought, he replied he was not currently considering any action. He also expressed pessimism that his status as an arguido would be lifted soon. Last month, PJ chief Alípio Ribeiro admitted the declaration of Kate and Gerry McCann as formal suspects had, perhaps, been made in haste. "At this moment, at this distance, with the experience I have of public prosecution, (…) maybe there should have been another evaluation. About this I have no doubt", Ribeiro said of the case. Last month, prosecutors were granted a three-month extension due to the "special complexity" of the case, and secrecy laws will now remain in force until April 14th. Madeleine McCann was reported missing from her holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on May 3rd, 2007.

David Payne rogatory interview, 11 April 2008 - Extract - 00:52:56 1485 "Did you see them [Kate and Gerry] in a car at all whilst you were in Portugal, prior to Madeleine disappearing?" Reply "Err we all arrived you know at Praia Da Luz initially in the taxi err apart from that I can't really recall." 1485 "That's it." Reply "I can't recall err seeing you know err going anywhere in a car."

Taxi driver 'drove Madeleine McCann, three men and a woman' the night after she disappeared, 02 May 2012

Taxi driver 'drove Madeleine McCann, three men and a woman' the night after she disappeared Evening Standard Driver's claims could provide vital clues in the case A taxi driver who could help solve the mystery of Madeleine McCann's disappearance has been ignored by Portuguese police, it was revealed today. A lawyer for her parents told how the man, who says he saw the toddler a day after she vanished, is a crucial witness who could provide vital clues in the case. Today, on the eve of the fifth anniversary into her disappearance, the cab driver told the Standard, how he has never been interviewed by detectives. Antonio Castela says a young girl, who looked like Madeleine, got into the back of his taxi with four adults near the Spanish border in the Algarve, the night after she went missing. Despite telling the Policia Judiciaria, the Portuguese police's investigative unit, what he saw, he has never been questioned. The 72-year-old said he picked up three men, a woman and a child at 7:50pm on the May 4 2007, from Monte Gordo, about an hour's drive from Praia da Luz, where Madeleine vanished the night before. He drove them two miles to the Hotel Apolo in Vila Real de Santo Antonio near Faro, where they got into a blue jeep and drove away. He said: "The little girl, who looked like Madeleine was sat on the lap of a man sitting at the back of the cab. I remember thinking it was odd because they did not speak a word during the entire journey apart from at the end when the man sat in the passenger seat said to me; how much?" Speaking from his home in Vila Real de Santo Antonio, he added: "Only when I heard about Madeleine going missing and seeing her picture on the TV did I contact the police as the little girl in the back of my taxi had that same distinct mark in her eye as Madeleine does." Mr Castela, who has been a taxi driver for 23 years, said the girl, who was dressed in pink pyjamas, was awake, but did not speak and was just "staring ahead" as though she had been doped. "After I went to the police, I never heard anything from them again" he said. "They did not seem to take me seriously and never questioned me. They simply took down the details and that was it. I am amazed that it has been five years and nobody has ever asked me what I saw that night. I am absolutely certain it was her." Kate and Gerry McCann's lawyer in Portugal, Isabel Duarte, said Mr Castela's account is one of several important leads that the Portuguese police have failed to follow up. Scotland Yard, which last year launched a £2million review of all known evidence in the case, says there are 195 new leads in the case adding they believe she is still alive. A team of detectives, based in Oporto in northern Portugal, has been appointed to re-examine the case but so far say there are no credible new facts to justify re-opening the investigation. Kate and Gerry McCann said today they have "no doubt" that the Portuguese authorities will eventually re-open the investigation into their daughter Madeleine's disappearance. Police in Portugal said last week they had found "no new element" to justify re-launching their inquiry into how the little girl vanished on a family holiday to the Algarve in May 2007. But the McCanns, speaking on the eve of the fifth anniversary of Madeleine going missing, added their voice to calls from Scotland Yard for the case to be re-opened. Mr McCann, 43, said: "I think the most important thing is that a lot of the investigation opportunities are in Portugal. "I think it's fairly clear that the case will have to be re-opened for those to be pursued adequately. "We weren't expecting a knee-jerk reaction by any means. This is an ongoing dialogue, and I am sure the investigation will get opened again in due course. "I have no doubt about that. It will get re-opened." His wife, 44, added: "It's certainly the best way that we're going to find Madeleine, and who took her. If people want to find Madeleine, and want to find the person who took her, then we need the case to be re-opened." The officer leading Scotland Yard's review of the original investigation into Madeleine's disappearance spoke last week of his belief that the case can still be solved and said there is evidence she could still be alive. Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood said the Metropolitan Police would like the case to be re-opened, but stressed that the decision was one for Portugal. Mr McCann said: "The only way everyone will be able to move on is for the case to be solved, and that is for Madeleine to be found and the perpetrators brought to justice. Until then it's not going to go away. It can't go away."

"I am absolutely certain it was her": Portuguese taxi driver claims police have ignored his possible sighting of missing Madeleine McCann, 02 May 2012

"I am absolutely certain it was her": Portuguese taxi driver claims police have ignored his possible sighting of missing Madeleine McCann Daily Mirror By Agency staff | 2 May 2012 14:37 McCann spokeman says it is "deeply shocking" that detectives have never interviewed Antonio Castela A taxi driver who believes he picked up Madeleine McCann the night after she vanished has claimed that Portuguese police ignored his report. Kate and Gerry McCann's spokesman said it was "deeply shocking" that detectives never interviewed Antonio Castela about his possible sighting of the missing child. Mr Castela, 72, went to the Policia Judiciaria, Portugal's CID, after three men, a woman and a young girl resembling Madeleine got into his cab on the evening of May 4 2007 in Monte Gordo in the Algarve. This is about an hour's drive from Praia da Luz, where the British child had vanished from her family's holiday apartment the previous night. The taxi driver drove the group two miles to the Hotel Apolo in Vila Real de Santo Antonio, where they drove away in a blue jeep. Mr Castela told the Evening Standard: "After I went to the police, I never heard anything from them again. "They did not seem to take me seriously and never questioned me. They simply took down the details and that was it. "I am amazed that it has been five years and nobody has ever asked me what I saw that night. I am absolutely certain it was her." McCann family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "Mr Castela did absolutely the right thing at the time by reporting his sighting to the PJ. "It is clearly deeply shocking that he now tells us he has not been interviewed once by a detective in five years. "This is exactly the sort of thing that needs to be looked at in the investigative review now being carried out by the Metropolitan Police. "Kate and Gerry remain very happy that the Met are performing their role as efficiently as they can." Earlier today, the McCanns spoke of their renewed hope that their daughter will be found. Mrs McCann said an ongoing review of the case by Scotland Yard and the release of a new age-progression picture of Madeleine had left them feeling "probably as positive" as they had been for a long time. "We are realistic. We don't know what has happened but we know there is a very good chance that she could be alive - there is no evidence to the contrary," she told presenter Lorraine Kelly on ITV's Lorraine. "We know year after year, missing children, children that have been abducted, are found alive." Her remarks come as the couple, from Rothley, Leicestershire, prepare to mark the anniversary of their daughter's disappearance tomorrow. In the interview, Mrs McCann praised the new age-progression photograph of Madeleine and appealed to the public to circulate the image as widely as possible. The Metropolitan Police released the picture last week of what Madeleine might look like now, coming up to her ninth birthday on May 12. Mrs McCann, 44, said: "We would be really keen - the general public helped us with the last age-progression - so we would be really keen for them, really grateful, if they could circulate that image as far and wide as they can."

Taxi driver insists that he picked up Madeleine hours after she vanished, 03 May 2012

Taxi driver insists that he picked up Madeleine hours after she vanished Daily Express (paper edition) Madeleine McCann was in my taxi but police ignored me Daily Express A TAXI driver who claims he picked up Madeleine McCann the night after she vanished has accused Portuguese police of dismissing his evidence. By: John Twomey Published: Thu, May 3, 2012 Antonio Castela, 72, says he is ­certain the little girl in pink pyjamas travelling with four adults was three-year-old Madeleine. Madeleine was wearing a pink T-shirt with the character Eeyore and white trousers with a small floral ­pattern when she was snatched. The cabbie described how the girl in the taxi even had the same distinctive mark in her eye as Madeleine does. He went to Portugal's CID, the ­Policia Judiciaria, soon after discovering Madeleine had gone missing and gave a statement. But Mr Castela said: "After I went to the police, I never heard anything from them again. They did not seem to take me seriously and never questioned me. They simply took down the details and that was it. "I am amazed that it has been five years and nobody has ever asked me what I saw that night. I am absolutely certain it was her." Yesterday, the McCann family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "Mr Castela did absolutely the right thing at the time by reporting his sighting to the PJ. "It is clearly deeply shocking that he now tells us he has not been ­interviewed once by a detective in five years. This is exactly the sort of thing that needs to be looked at in the ­investigative review now being carried out by the Metropolitan Police." Mr Castela, a cab driver for 23 years, said he picked up the girl on the evening of May 4, 2007, in Monte Gordo in the Algarve. The spot was about an hour's drive from Praia da Luz where Madeleine vanished the night before. She was with three men and a woman and they were driven to the Hotel Apolo in Vila Real de Santo Antonio, near Faro. Once there, they got into a blue 4x4 and drove off. Mr Castela said: "The little girl, who looked like Madeleine was sat on the lap of a man sitting in the back of the cab. I remember thinking it was odd because they did not speak a word during the entire journey apart from at the end when the man sat in the passenger seat said to me, 'How much?'" He said the girl in his cab did not speak but was "staring ahead" as though she had been doped. Isabel Duarte, the McCann family lawyer in Portugal, said the driver's ­information is one of several leads which police there have not followed up. The McCanns are familiar with the cabbie's claims but it is not clear if his testimony is among the 195 "investigative opportunities" ­identified by the Scotland Yard review team. Operation Grange was launched in May last year after the McCanns appealed directly to David Cameron. The 37-strong squad is sifting through 40,000 pieces of information. Madeleine's father Gerry said: "Probably for the first time in 4d years, information is coming in and it's going to get through to officers who are actively pursuing the information." Last month detectives made inquiries in Nerja, southern Spain, after a tip-off from police in Portugal of a ­possible sighting of the girl.

I drove Maddie in cab, 03 May 2012

I drove Maddie in cab Daily Star (paper edition) FOUR adults with her night after she vanished I drove Maddie in cab Daily Star A TAXI driver last night claimed he had Maddie McCann in his car the day after she went missing but has been ignored by Portuguese police for five years. By Tom Hutchison / Published 3rd May 2012   Antonio Castela wants answers after officers failed to follow up his sighting. He took a fare from three men and a women who sat silently during the journey along the Portuguese border with Spain. A girl, who he is convinced was Madeleine, sat on one man's lap without speaking. Maddie's mum Kate last night urged police to get in touch to see if his information could help find her missing daughter. She said: "If there is any kind of lead that hasn't been investigated properly, we want police looking into it." Mr Castela said the child he drove back in 2007 appeared "doped" and was "staring ahead" blankly. She wore pink pyjamas and was fully awake but no-one in the group spoke to her as they travelled from Monte Gordo, an hour's drive from where Madeleine missing in Praia da Luz the previous night. Mr Castela, 72, a cabbie for 23 years, said: "The little girl who looked like Madeleine was sitting on the lap of a man at the back of the cab. "I remember thinking it was odd because they did not speak during the entire journey, apart from at the end when the man sat in the passenger seat and said to me: 'How much?'" He added "Only when I heard about Madeleine going missing and seeing her picture on the TV did I contact the police. "The little girl in the back of my taxi had the same distinct mark in her eye as Madeleine. "After I went to the police I never heard anything from them again. "They did not seem to take me seriously and never questioned me. "They simply took down the details and that was it. "I am amazed it has been five years and nobody has ever asked me what I saw that night. I am absolutely certain it was her." Kate and husband Gerry's lawyer in Portugal, Isabel Duarte, said the sighting is crucial to the hunt for Maddie ahead of today's fifth anniversary of her disappearance. British police were last night poised to follow it up alongside other missed leads from the original investigation. Metropolitan Police officers have already found 195 "investigative opportunities" after examining just 25% of the 40,000 items of evidence from the original probe. Kate and Gerry, from Rothley, Leics, last night said they felt the most hopeful in four years of finding their girl alive. And they have "no doubt" the Portuguese authorities will eventually reopen the case. Police in Portugal said last week they have found "no new elements" to justify re-launching their inquiry into how the little girl vanished. But the McCanns added their voice to calls by Scotland Yard to reopen the case. Gerry, 43, said: "I think the most important thing is that a lot of the investigation opportunities are in Portugal. "It's fairly clear the case will have to be reopened for those to be pursued adequately. "We weren’t expecting immediate reaction by any means. "This is an ongoing dialogue and I am sure the investigation will get opened again in due course." Kate, 44, added: "It's certainly the best way we're going to find Madeleine and who took her. If people want to find Madeleine, and want to find the person who took her, then we need the case to be reopened." The officer leading Scotland Yard's review told last week there was evidence she could still be alive. Det Chf Insp Andy Redwood wants the case reopened but stressed the decision was out of his hands and was one for the Portuguese judiciary. Gerry McCann added: "The only way everyone will be able to move on is for the case to be solved and that is for Madeleine to be found and the perpetrators brought to justice. "Until then it's not going to go away, it can't go away." The couple also revealed last night that Kate's book about the disappearance has sold nearly 400,000 copies. It has raised up to £1million for the fund to find Maddie.

Praia da Luz: Taxi driver says he transported Maddie and four adults, 03 May 2012

Praia da Luz: Taxi driver says he transported Maddie and four adults Correio da Manhã Antonio Castilla, 72, says the PJ devalued his testimony A taxi driver from the Algarve assures that he transported Maddie McCann, the English child who was with her parents in Praia da Luz, five years ago, along with four adults, one day after the disappearance. 03 May, 11h20 Antonio Castilla, 72, has assured the British newspaper 'Daily Mail' that he contacted the Judicial Police, but they have devalued his testimony. The cabbie says he is sure that the child carried in the cab with four adults and wearing pink coloured pyjamas was Madeleine McCann. According to Antonio Castilla, the three men and the woman who bore the child were taken by taxi to the Hotel Apolo in Vila Real de Santo António, where they then got into a blue Jeep and departed to an unknown destination. "After I went to the police, I never heard anything from them again. They did not seem to take me seriously," the man told the English newspaper. For Clarence Mitchell, spokesman for Kate and Gerry McCann, parents of little Maddie, "it is shocking that the driver has not been questioned once in five years."

Portugal cabbie offers lead to Scotland Yard's Madeleine McCann investigation, 16 August 2013

Portugal cabbie offers lead to Scotland Yard's Madeleine McCann investigation Evening Standard Hear my story, pleads driver 'haunted' by sighting New hope: Madeleine McCann went missing in 2007 with her parents KIRAN RANDHAWA Published: 16 August 2013 Updated: 11:16, 16 August 2013 A taxi driver who says he could help solve the mystery of Madeleine McCann's disappearance has urged Scotland Yard to investigate his claims. Antonio Castela says he picked up three men, a woman and a girl who looked like the missing three-year-old near the Spanish border in the Algarve the night after she vanished. He has previously claimed he told Portuguese detectives what he saw, but was not questioned, even though a lawyer for Maddy's parents said he could provide vital clues. The case was closed five years ago but Home Secretary Theresa May has sent an official request to Lisbon for permission for the Met to station officers in Portugal to begin a fresh investigation there. It is expected they could fly out within weeks. Mr Castela, 73, said: "I want to tell them what I saw and assist in the investigation. I remember all the details. I would be very happy if the police re-open the investigation and if I could help in this case. This case has haunted me for a long time." Maddy, from Leicestershire, vanished from the holiday flat rented by her doctor parents Kate and Gerry in Praia da Luz on the Algarve in May 2007. Mr Castela said he picked up the men, woman and child at 7.50pm, an hour's drive away. He took them two miles to the Hotel Apolo in his neighbourhood, Vila Real de Santo António, near Faro, where they got into a blue BMW and drove away. He said: "In 2007 I called police and told them what I had seen. Since then, no one from the police has spoken to me or showed interest in my story. No one came to collect my statement." He said he recalls Madeleine, in pink pyjamas, sitting on one of the men's laps, and he noticed the "black spot" — a distinctive mark in her right eye. "I think my story may give a clue that has not been followed. I do not know what happened to Maddy, but I know that day, she was still alive in my cab." The Met has identified 38 potential suspects, including 12 Britons "of interest" who were in Portugal when Maddy vanished.

Maddie: I can give police vital clues says cabbie, 17 August 2013

Maddie: I can give police vital clues says cabbie Daily Express (paper edition) Breakthrough hope as taxi driver says "I picked up men with Maddie" SEE PAGE 6 Taxi driver tells police: I can help you find Madeleine McCann Daily Express A PORTUGUESE taxi driver who claims he could help solve the Madeleine McCann mystery has urged British police to contact him. By: John Twomey Published: Sat, August 17, 2013 Antonio Castela says he picked up three men, a woman and a girl about 24 hours after the three-year-old vanished. The 73-year-old cabbie is now convinced the little girl in pink pyjamas was Madeleine. He even recalls how the child in his cab had the same distinctive mark in her eye as Madeleine. Mr Castela gave a statement to Portugal's Policia Judiciaria but claims there was no follow-up interview. Now he wants to speak to detectives from Scotland Yard's Operation Grange squad who are set to fly to ­Portugal within weeks. Mr Castela said: "I want to tell them what I saw and assist in the investigation. I remember all the details. "I would be very happy if the police re-open the investigation and if I could help. This case has haunted me for a long time." The cabbie says he picked up the girl and the four adults on the evening of May 4, 2007, in Monte Gordo on the Algarve. The spot was about an hour's drive from Praia da Luz where Madeleine was snatched the previous night. Mr Castela drove them to the Hotel Apolo in Vila Real de Santo Antonio, near Faro. Once there, they got into a blue 4X4 car and drove off. He said the little girl did not speak and just "stared ahead" as if she had been doped. His pink pyjamas description is vital. Madeleine was dressed in a pink T-shirt and white trousers with small floral ­pattern when she vanished. Parents Kate and Gerry McCann, are familiar with Mr Castela's claims as are the Operation Grange detectives. Last month, the Yard announced a full-scale investigation into Madeleine's disappearance. The move followed a two-year review of a mass of evidence from police in Portugal and Britain as well as seven different firms of private ­investigators. The Yard has identified 38 potential suspects or "persons of interests" including 12 ­Britons. The potential suspects came from five countries. Painstaking investigation by the elite squad has produced "new findings" and "new ­witness evidence." On Tuesday, Metropolitan Police Sir ­Bernard Hogan-Howe said he hoped Operation Grange detectives would fly to ­Portugal within weeks. The move follows an exchange of official letters between London and Lisbon setting out the perimeters of the new inquiries. Portuguese officials have stressed British police cannot operate independently in their country. At every stage of the inquiry, they will be accompanied by Portuguese prosecutors. The presence of Scotland Yard detectives in Portugal will underline a new phase of co-operation between the two countries over the case. During the review, Operation Grange officers visited Portugal 16 times as well as making inquiries in Spain. Kate and Gerry McCann, both doctors from Rothley, Leicestershire, have never given up hope that Madeleine will be found alive. The Yard's view is there is no clear evidence she is dead.

Madeleine McCann: I can help UK cops claims cabbie, 17 August 2013

Madeleine McCann: I can help UK cops claims cabbie Daily Star A TAXI driver who claims he might have picked up Madeleine McCann with four adults the night ­after she vanished wants to meet British police By Tony Bassett / Published 17th August 2013 Antonio Castela says three men, a woman and a girl who resembled the missing three-year-old got into his cab in the Algarve. Mr Castela, 73, says the little girl was wearing pink pyjamas like Madeleine and had the same distinctive mark in her right eye. But although he reported his sighting to Portugal’s CID, the Policia Judiciaria, and gave police a statement, he never heard anything further. Now that Home Secretary Theresa May has applied for official permission for Scotland Yard officers to launch a new investigation in Portugal, they could fly out within weeks. Mr Castela said: "I want to tell them what I saw and assist in the investigation. I remember all the details." Madeleine, from Rothley, Leics, went missing from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3, 2007. Mr Castela said he picked up the girl and adults on the evening of May 4 in Monte Gordo, about an hour's drive from Praia da Luz. He took them to a hotel near Faro. There they got into a blue 4x4 and drove off. Mr Castela said: "I remember thinking it was odd because they did not speak a word during the ­entire journey." He added: "This case has haunted me for a long time." McCann family spokesman Clarence Mitchell says the taxi driver's claims should be investigated.

Madeleine McCann news: Cabbie lead in search for lost British girl, 17 August 2013

Madeleine McCann news: Cabbie lead in search for lost British girl Daily Mirror By Lucy Thornton | 17 Aug 2013 08:22 Antonio Castela claims he may have picked her up the night after she disappeared A cabbie who claims he may have picked up Madeleine McCann the night after she disappeared hopes to meet British police in Portugal. Antonio Castela, 73, said he took three men, a woman and a child in pink pyjamas who resembled Madeleine, then three, from close to the Spanish border to a hotel near Faro. He said they then drove away in a blue 4x4. Mr Castela claims the girl even had the same mark in her eye as Madeleine. He said he told local police but never heard anything. Scotland Yard officers could soon fly to Portugal after Home Secretary Theresa May applied for permission for them to be there. Mr Castela said: "I want to tell them what I saw. I remember the details. It has haunted me for a long time." Madeleine went missing in Praia da Luz on the Algarve in May 2007. The Portuguese investigation is officially closed but Met officers want to speak to 38 suspects.

New Portuguese police team in Maddie hunt: Officers to quiz 30 'people of interest' including cab driver who may picked up toddler the night after she vanished, 24 August 2013

New Portuguese police team in Maddie hunt: Officers to quiz 30 'people of interest' including cab driver who may picked up toddler the night after she vanished Daily Mail New Portuguese police team are on the hunt for Madeleine McCann No detectives from initial Portuguese investigation reportedly chosen By GERARD COUZENS PUBLISHED: 23:45, 24 August 2013 | UPDATED: 23:45, 24 August 2013 Police in Portugal have put together a new team of detectives to assist Scotland Yard in the hunt for Madeleine McCann. They have been told to help officers from the Met and have been given a long list of people British police want them to interview about Madeleine's disappearance in 2007 while on holiday with her parents in the Algarve. None of the detectives involved in the shambolic initial Portuguese investigation is thought to have been chosen. The new team is expected to start work in the next few weeks. It will question more than 30 'people of interest', thought to include a taxi driver who thinks he may have picked up Madeleine, then aged three, the night after she vanished from her hotel while her parents were at a tapas bar 50 yards away. Cabbie Antonio Castela, 73, said he picked up three men, a woman and a child resembling Madeleine about an hour’s drive from the resort and dropped them off at a hotel. He gave a statement to Portuguese police but was never questioned afterwards. British detectives are hoping to be allowed to participate in the interviews, although the Portuguese have made it clear that if they are given permission public prosecutors will be with them at all times. Disappearance: Gerry McCann, father of Madeleine, in Praia da Luz, Portugal where she was last seen The formation of the Portuguese police team will be seen as a major step forward by British authorities pushing for a renewed effort in the investigation. Home Secretary Theresa May sent an official request for assistance last month to Portugal's attorney general. The document containing the request is thought to have included the names of the 38 people across Europe identified as 'of interest' by a Home Office-funded Met Police review team. The vast majority are thought to be in Portugal. Ongoing investigation: Kate and Gerry McCann hold a news conference to mark the 5th anniversary of the disappearance Several witnesses, believed to be British tourists, have already been interviewed again in the UK. Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the Met's review into the case, called Operation Grange, has said he believes Madeleine is still alive. The initial Portuguese inquiry was shelved in 2008 and the authorities there have insisted that providing assistance to the British review does not equate to a reopening of their own investigation.

Madeleine McCann hunt hopes as new team of Portuguese cops are put together to help Scotland Yard, 25 August 2013

Madeleine McCann hunt hopes as new team of Portuguese cops are put together to help Scotland Yard Sunday Mirror By Gerard Couzens | 25 Aug 2013 00:00 Met officers have given the ­Algarve-based team a list of 38 "people of interest" to be quizzed A new team of Portuguese detectives has been put together to help Scotland Yard trace missing Madeleine McCann, it emerged yesterday. Met officers have given the ­Algarve-based team a list of 38 "people of interest" to be quizzed. They are expected to start work in the next few weeks and it is understood none of the detectives from the original highly criticised Portuguese probe is involved. The list of interviewees ­includes Antonio Castela, 73, the taxi driver who claims he may have picked Maddie up with two men and a woman the night after she vanished. He gave a statement to ­Portuguese police at the time but was never quizzed again. British detectives reviewing the case through Operation Grange are hoping to be allowed to sit in on the ­interviews. The formation of the new team will be seen as a major step forward by authorities pushing for the Portuguese part of the investigation to be reopened. Maddy was three when she disappeared on ­holiday in Praia Da Luz, on the Algarve, in May 2007.

Madeleine McCann news: Cab driver faces cop quiz, 25 August 2013

Madeleine McCann news: Cab driver faces cop quiz Sunday Mirror By Nick Dorman | 25 Aug 2013 00:00 Antonio Castela, 73, said he took three men, a woman and a child who resembled missing Maddie to a Portuguese hotel near Faro The cabbie who picked up a group of passengers including a girl in pink pyjamas is first on the Scotland Yard Madeleine McCann unit's list for questioning by cops in Portugal, the Sunday People reports. Cabbie Antonio Castela, 73, said he took three men, a woman and a child who resembled the missing three-year-old girl to a Portuguese hotel near Faro. He gave a statement to police but was never questioned. The Algarve-based officers have been handed a long wish-list of people British police want them to interview about Maddie's disappearance on May 3, 2007. None of the detectives involved in the highly criticised initial Portuguese police probe is thought to have been picked for the new operation. They are expected to start work over the next few weeks by quizzing 38 "people of interest" starting with Castela.The new Portuguese police team will be seen as a major step forward by British authorities. Home Secretary Theresa May sent an official request for assistance last month. Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, leading the Met's Operation Grange, has said he believes Madeleine, is still alive.

Madeleine McCann: Police in Portugal asked by Scotland Yard to speak to 38 people, 26 August 2013

Madeleine McCann: Police in Portugal asked by Scotland Yard to speak to 38 people Daily Mirror By David Collins | 26 Aug 2013 00:00 The Met Police have drawn up a list of "people of interest" thought to include a taxi driver A new police team has been assembled in Portugal to help Scotland Yard search for Madeleine McCann – and they have already been asked to speak to 38 people. The Met Police have drawn up a list of "people of interest" thought to include a taxi driver who thinks he may have seen three-year-old Madeleine the night after she vanished in 2007. Cabbie Antonio Castela, 73, has not spoken to police since he told them he picked up three men, a woman and a child resembling Madeleine. He said: "I want to tell them what I saw. It has haunted me for a long time." Met detectives reviewing the case on Operation Grange are hoping to sit in on the interviews. Portuguese police said the move does not mean their probe, which was shelved in 2008, is being reopened. No one from that inquiry is thought to be on the new team, which is set to start work within a few weeks.

Maddy police to start interviews, 26 August 2013

Maddy police to start interviews Daily Express (paper edition) 'Persons of interest' to be quizzed by Portuguese squad TURN TO PAGE 5 Madeleine McCann police to start interviews Daily Express DETECTIVES in Portugal have been recruited to help Scotland Yard quiz suspects and witnesses as the hunt for Madeleine McCann gained pace yesterday. By: Mark Reynolds Published: Mon, August 26, 2013 The Algarve-based officers have already been handed a list of more than 30 people's names by British police who they want to interview over Madeleine's disappearance in May 2007. It is thought none of the Portuguese team in the original inquiry have been chosen for the new probe. The "persons of interest" are expected to include a taxi driver who claims he may have picked up Madeleine the night after she vanished. Driver Antonio Castela, 73, said he took three men, a woman and a child in pink pyjamas who resembled the missing youngster from close to the Spanish border to a hotel near Faro. He gave a statement to the Policia Judiciaria but was never questioned afterwards. Just weeks after the Metropolitan Police announced it was moving from review stage of the case to a full-blown criminal investigation, authorities in Portugal are thought to have chosen a team of officers from the Policia Judiciaria's Faro-based southern division to aid Scotland Yard. British detectives hope to be allowed to conduct interviews, although Portuguese law chiefs have already made it clear they will have to be accompanied by public prosecutors at all times if they are given permission. But the formation of the Portuguese police team will be seen as a major step forward by both the British authorities and officers conducting the new investigation into Madeleine's disappearance. Home Secretary Theresa May sent an official request for assistance last month to the Portuguese Attorney General's office. The document containing the request is thought to have included the names of 38 "people of interest" across Europe identified by a Home Office-funded Met review team as well as a petition to set up headquarters in Portugal and allow British police to work alongside local officers on the ground. While declining to give a "running commentary" on the new inquiry, Kate and Gerry McCann have stressed they have "absolute faith" in the Met's efforts. Announcing the launch of the new investigation, the leader of Operation Grange, the hunt for Madeleine, Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood said he continued to believe she may still be alive. He said: "It is a positive step in our hunt for Madeleine that our understanding of the evidence has enabled us to shift from review to investigation. We continue to believe there is a possibility that Madeleine is alive." Det Chief Insp Redwood also revealed that of the "persons of interest", 12 were British nationals. Madeleine – who would now be 10 years old – went missing from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal's Algarve on May 3 2007 as her parents dined at a nearby tapas restaurant with friends. Neither Kate or Gerry, both 45, nor the McCanns' friends who were having dinner with them that night are among the 38 people identified, police said. None of the 38 is known to the McCanns. The 12 British "persons of interest" were in Portugal at the time Madeleine vanished, and are currently thought to be in Portugal or the UK. The remainder are believed to be in these countries or three other unnamed European nations. So far the Met Police team has gathered 30,500 documents from its review of the case. Several witnesses, believed to be British holidaymakers, have already been re-interviewed in the UK as part of Operation Grange. The co-operation of the Portuguese authorities – who shelved their own inquiry into Madeleine's disappearance in 2008 – is seen as vital for the new inquiry's success.