Anne Guedes: Libel Damages Trial Reports 

Photos: from McCann Libel trial by Anne Guedes

Dr. Goncalo Amaral's Book "Truth of the Lie" English Translation

Day Seven, 08 October 2013

Tweet from UK Justice Forum, 08 October 2013

Tweet from UK Justice Forum Twitter Text version of above: Local guy sends text to UK media thus why they end up with virtually same script.

Day Seven: Libel Trial, 08 October 2013

Day Seven: Libel Trial Twitter - Jerry Lawton Jerry Lawton is the Daily Star chief crime reporter Text version of above: Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 2:31 PM - 8 Oct 13 Madeleine #McCann libel trial resumes. Parents suing ex-cop Goncalo Amaral for £1m over his book's claims they covered up her death. Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 4:06 PM - 8 Oct 13 Kate #McCann asks judge for permission to give evidence at libel trial Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 4:10 PM - 8 Oct 13 Former Portuguese police family liaison officer Ricardo Paiva tells #McCann libel trial Amaral's book was 'based on our investigation' Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 4:11 PM - 8 Oct 13 Paiva: the book 'contains the professional and personal opinions of Goncalo Amaral as a police officer' #McCann Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 4:13 PM - 8 Oct 13 Contrary to #McCann claim Paiva says publication of Amaral's book did not hinder the 'flow of information' coming in to police Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 4:13 PM - 8 Oct 13 Paiva says everything in Amaral's book 'can be found in the case files' which have been made public #McCann Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 4:16 PM - 8 Oct 13 Port police organised crime unit head Luis Neves said Amaral's conclusion Madeleine was dead was accepted early on by parents #McCann Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 4:18 PM - 8 Oct 13 Neves: Kate driving force behind failed July 2007 search by controversial ex-Sth African cop Danie Krugel with body-finding machine #McCann Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 4:27 PM - 8 Oct 13 Neves: Brit police suggested bringing in sniffer dogs..'not accepted lightly' due to 'cost' and 'no experience of it in Portugal' #McCann Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 4:28 PM - 8 Oct 13 Retired cop Francisco Moita Flores said #McCann probe was one of  'most complex and well-investigated cases' he'd seen..Amaral 'competent' Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 4:29 PM - 8 Oct 13 Flores: #McCann and Tapas 7 friends should have had their phones tapped because of 'inconsistencies' in their statements. Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 4:34 PM - 8 Oct 13 Flores says 'prophetic and dogmatic vision' behind current SY #McCann probe. UK cops 'only putting forward the hypothesis of abduction' Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 4:35 PM - 8 Oct 13 Judge stops lawyers on both sides asking Amaral's former cop colleagues their conclusions on #McCann case because 'opinions' not 'facts' Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 4:41 PM - 8 Oct 13 Judge to Paiva: 'What's new in the book that's not in the police files?' Paiva: 'Nothing' #McCann Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 4:43 PM - 8 Oct 13 judge says book cover says it contains 'exclusive revelations'..'ok so then I have to conclude this is misleading advertising', #McCann Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 4:59 PM - 8 Oct 13 Gerry and Kate #McCann and Goncalo Amaral have all now applied to the judge to give evidence at libel trial

Kate McCann asks to be heard, 08 October 2013

Kate McCann asks to be heard ITV News 08 October 2013 Kate McCann has asked the judge for permission to give evidence in the family's libel case against Goncalo Amaral. The ex-police chief published a book making allegations about Madeleine's disappearance in May 2007. ------------- Kate McCann asks to give evidence at libel trial by Emma Murphy - Europe Correspondent 4:21pm, Tue 8 Oct 2013 Kate McCann, the mother of missing Madeleine, has asked for permission to give evidence at the libel trial of the Portuguese detective Goncalo Amoral. Gerry McCann has already made the same request. The judge is likely to decide on November 5th.

Photos taken outside the Palace of Justice, 08 October 2013

Photos taken outside the Palace of Justice UK Justice Forum

Kate McCann tells libel hearing she wants to defend herself in court against 'smears' made against her by Portuguese police, 08 October 2013

Kate McCann tells libel hearing she wants to defend herself in court against 'smears' made against her by Portuguese police Daily Mail Kate McCann has requested permission to defend herself in libel case Gerry McCann has also expressed a wish to speak during trial Family is suing Goncaro Amaral over book The Truth of the Lie Police chief claimed the McCanns hid Madeleine's body after she died in an accident then faked her abduction By GERARD COUZENS PUBLISHED: 17:12, 8 October 2013 | UPDATED: 17:12, 8 October 2013 The tormented mother of Madeleine McCann has said she wants to defend herself in open court for the first time against Portuguese police 'smears' over her daughter's disappearance. Kate McCann has asked a judge for permission to address a libel trial brought after a controversial book suggested the McCanns may have hidden their daughter's body and staged an abduction. The author of The Truth Of The Lie is ex-police chief Goncalo Amaral, 56, who was tasked with investigating Madeleine's May 2007 disappearance.   Kate's husband Gerry and Mr Amaral have already applied to speak in the Portuguese court. Her application, revealed at the libel trial today as former police colleagues of Mr Amaral spoke in his defence, paves the way for an emotional finale to the case. It comes just days ahead of a new appeal by the McCanns for information on their missing daughter on BBC's Crimewatch which will feature a reconstruction of events in Praia da Luz on May 3 2007. It is thought Gerry and Kate, 45, will appeal directly to a kidnapper during the programme. Madeleine's mother flew to Portugal for the start of the libel trial last month - but had left it to friends and relatives to testify before Mr Amaral's side launched its defence. Judge Maria Emilia Melo e Castro, referring to Kate by her maiden name as she revealed her change of heart, said: 'On October 2 Kate Healy made an application to make a statement to this court. 'The court will decide on this application once evidence has been heard by both sides as only then will it be it able to judge on the need for and the pertinence of this application.' If given the go-ahead, the McCanns and Mr Amaral are expected to speak on the same day on or after November 27 when the last hearing in the trial at Lisbon's Palace of Justice is scheduled. Former colleagues of Mr Amaral's turned up the heat on the McCanns today by insisting nothing he wrote in his July 2008 book was new. The book was published just three days after the McCanns had their status as suspects over Madeleine's disappearance officially lifted. Around 120,000 copies were sold before it was withdrawn when the McCanns won an injunction against the ex-police chief.   Portuguese TV station TVI, also being sued by the McCanns along with Mr Amaral's book publishers, broadcast a controversial documentary based on the book in April 2009. Former family liaison officer Ricardo Paiva told the court: 'What is in the book is based on our investigation and contains the professional and personal opinions of Goncalo Amaral as a police officer. 'Everything that is there can be found in the case files.' Contradicting earlier claims by the McCanns' family and friends that Mr Amaral's book had hindered their search for their daughter by turning the Portuguese public against them, he added: 'The flow of information continued to come in regularly. 'Neither this book or any other book affected the flow of information.' Luis Neves, head of a national police unit tasked with investigating organised crime, including kidnappings, said Mr Amaral's conclusion Madeleine was dead was an idea accepted early on by her parents. He insisted Kate was the driving force behind a failed July 2007 search for Madeleine by controversial ex-south African detective Danie Krugel, who claimed to have invented a machine which could locate a body if provided with a DNA sample. Neves said the reservations he felt over Mr Krugel were shared by colleagues about sniffer dogs supplied by British police which went on to smell the 'scent of death' in the McCanns' holiday apartment and place a huge question mark over the hypothesis Madeleine was kidnapped. The performance of the dogs was later called into question after they also reacted to remains at Haut de la Garenne orphanage in Jersey, which were later found to be animal bones.   Mr Neves told the court: 'The McCanns convinced us we should bring in the south African man with his equipment. 'We didn't want to place any obstacles in the way and so the investigating officers eventually allowed it. 'It was during this part of the investigation our British colleagues said there was a team made up of dogs and their handlers that could help us to find out where the child could be buried. 'It was from then on that the Algarve police division decided to allow the dogs to come and the idea of Madeleine's death began to form and things took another direction. 'I know the suggestion of the dogs was not accepted lightly. 'We had no experience of it in Portugal and the cost was another factor.' Retired police officer Francisco Moita Flores, now a TV commentator, described the Madeleine McCann investigation as one of the 'most complex and well-investigated cases' he had had ever seen and called Mr Amaral 'competent.' He insisted the Tapas Nine - the McCanns and the friends dining with them at a tapas bar near their apartment the night Madeleine disappeared - should have had their phones tapped because of 'inconsistencies' in their statements. Attacking the ongoing Home Office-funded Met Police investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, called Operation Grange, he told the court: 'There's a prophetic and dogmatic vision behind it. 'These detectives are only putting forward the hypothesis of abduction.' Judge Maria Emilio Melo e Castro stopped lawyers on both sides asking Mr Amaral's former police colleagues what they thought about his conclusions on Madeleine and her parents in his book because they were 'opinions' and not 'facts.' She waved the book in her hand as she demanded to know from Ricardo Paiva: 'The back cover says it contains exclusive revelations. 'What's new in the book that's not in the police files?' Told by Mr Paiva, 'Nothing', she replied: 'Ok, so then I have to conclude this is misleading advertising.' Another defence witness, Mr Amaral's ex-number two Vitor Tavares de Almeida, was bizarrely dismissed after being asked just one question. The police chief, still a serving officer despite being convicted in January of torturing a crime suspect and receiving a two and a half suspended jail sentence, has previously claimed he believes the McCanns concealed Madeleine's body. He was overheard on a video link muttering: 'What am I doing here?' before being sent away after admitting he had only read the final two pages of Mr Amaral's book. Mr Amaral denies defamation. The case continues.

Kate McCann asks to give evidence in court during libel trial, 08 October 2013

Kate McCann asks to give evidence in court during libel trial ITV News Emma Murphy: Europe Correspondent 8:28pm, Tue 8 Oct 2013 Kate McCann has said she wants to defend herself in open court. Photo: John Stillwell/PA Wire Kate McCann has said she wants to defend herself in open court over claims made by the Portuguese police officer who led the hunt for her daughter Madeleine. If her application is granted it will be the first time she has appeared in a court to speak about the disappearance. Mrs McCann’s legal team requested she be allowed to testify in the libel action the family are taking against the ex-detective who was initially in charge of the hunt for the missing three year old. Judge Maria Emilia Melo e Castro, who is hearing the case, referred to Kate McCann by her maiden name as she announced the application to the court, "On October 2 Kate Healy made an application to make a statement to this court,” the judge said. "The court will decide on this application once evidence has been heard by both sides as only then will it be it able to judge on the need for and the pertinence of this application." The McCanns are suing Goncalo Amaral, over his book 'The Truth of the Lie' in which he accused them of faking their daughter's abduction to cover up her death in their Algarve holiday apartment. Madeleine McCann's parents Gerry and Kate McCann have both asked the court to speak. Credit: John Stillwell/PA Wire At the hearing in Portugal today colleagues of Mr Amaral spoke out in his defence insisting publication of the book in no way affected the search for Madeleine. The book was published in 2008 just three days after the McCanns had their status as 'arguidos' or suspects over Madeleiene's disappearance officially lifted. Former family liaison officer Ricardo Paiva told the court: "What is in the book is based on our investigation and contains the professional and personal opinions of Goncalo Amaral as a police officer. "Everything that is there can be found in the case files." Contradicting earlier claims by the McCanns' family and friends that Mr Amaral's book had hindered their search for their daughter by turning the Portuguese public against them, he added: "The flow of information continued to come in regularly. "Neither this book or any other book affected the flow of information." The case is expected to run until late November.

McCanns bid to give libel evidence, 08 October 2013

McCanns bid to give libel evidence The Press Association 08-10-2013 21:24 Press Association - Gerry and Kate McCann are seeking to give evidence at the Lisbon trial. Kate McCann has asked to give evidence at the Portuguese libel trial over a book by a former local police chief. The McCanns are suing Goncalo Amaral over claims in his book The Truth of the Lie about their daughter Madeleine's disappearance. The couple have launched a legal action against the former Portuguese police chief, as well as his publisher, and the makers of a documentary based on the book. Madeleine's father Gerry McCann is fighting to give evidence at the trial, with the judge at the court in Lisbon yet to rule on whether he can step into the witness box. And today the McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell confirmed that lawyer Isabel Duarte lodged an application last week for Mrs McCann to give evidence as well. If the judge grants the application, the couple will return to Lisbon. It is thought that if they give evidence, it will be at the end of the trial next month. Mr Amaral has also applied to take to the witness box and is yet to hear whether he can or not. Last week Gerry's sister Trish Cameron told the court that the family's pain over Madeleine's disappearance was "multiplied 100 times" by the book. She said the youngster's parents had been left in "purgatory" and the book and subsequent documentary had seen them "vilified" and "demonised". The trial has previously heard how Mrs McCann had considered suicide in the aftermath of the book's publication in 2008. The McCanns say the former detective's claims in the book The Truth Of The Lie, including suggestions that they hid their daughter's body after she died in an accident and faked an abduction, damaged the hunt for Madeleine and exacerbated their anguish. If successful the family stands to gain around £1 million in damages. Kate McCann travelled to Lisbon at the start of the trial, and her husband has attended several times in the hope of being able to give evidence at the trial, which is expected to finish hearing evidence in November. Madeleine, who was then nearly four, disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3 2007 as her parents dined at a nearby restaurant with friends. British detectives launched a fresh investigation into the youngster's disappearance in July this year - two years into a review of the case - and believe she could still be alive. A new BBC Crimewatch appeal is to be aired on Monday a bid to produce new witnesses. The appeal will include a reconstruction of the "latest, most detailed understanding" of the events around the time Madeleine went missing. Scotland Yard has revealed a vast log of mobile phone traffic could be the key to finding out what happened to the girl. Madeleine's parents have said they remain "optimistic" of finding their daughter and will not accept she is dead until they are presented with clear evidence. "We've always had hope," Mr McCann told ITV. "There have been a number of cases over the last few years of children and young women being found after having been taken and held for very long periods of time. "As parents we won't accept Madeleine is dead until we see clear evidence that that is the case." The Metropolitan Police now has a team of six Portuguese detectives based in Faro who are carrying out inquiries on its behalf. The Portuguese investigation is officially closed but authorities there are backing the Scotland Yard inquiry and officers from both countries will work together in pursuing new leads.

Madeleine: Dramatic new court claims, 08 October 2013

Madeleine: Dramatic new court claims Daily Express (paper edition)   Now mum Kate wants to give evidence against Portuguese detectives From Gerard Couzens in Lisbon and David Pilditch Wednesday October 9, 2013 KATE McCann is to make a dramatic bid to nail the smears which have hampered the search for her daughter Madeleine. Brave Kate wants to defend herself in open court to silence her tormentor, detective Goncalo Amaral, over false claims she was involved in a cover-up, it was revealed yesterday. The former GP is expected to use new evidence unearthed by Scotland Yard to kill off Portuguese police smears once and for all. British officers are set to unveil "fresh, substantive" material during a Crimewatch TV special on the case to be screened on Monday. It comes as detectives revealed they are closer TURN TO PAGE 5 --------------- Madeleine's mum Kate McCann wants to defend herself in court over 'smears' Sunday Express KATE MCCANN is to make a dramatic bid to nail the smears which have hampered the search for her daughter Madeleine. By: Gerard Couzens and David Pilditch Published: Wed, October 9, 2013   Brave Kate wants to defend herself in open court to silence her tormentor, detective Goncalo Amaral, over false claims she was involved in a cover-up, it was revealed yesterday. The former GP is expected to use new evidence unearthed by Scotland Yard to kill off Portuguese police smears once and for all. British officers are set to unveil "fresh, substantive" material during a Crimewatch TV special on the case to be screened on Monday. It comes as detectives revealed they are closer than ever to discovering what happened to Madeleine who disappeared during a family holiday in  Portugal in 2007. Kate and husband Gerry, 45, hope a targeted appeal will lead to a significant breakthrough. And the information could shatter the claims made against Madeleine's parents by the former police chief. Now Kate has asked a judge for permission to address a £1million libel trial in Lisbon. Heart consultant Gerry had already asked permission to address the hearing as has Mr Amaral.   Kate's application – revealed at the restart of the hearing yesterday – paves the way for an emotion-charged finale. If given the go-ahead, the McCanns and Mr Amaral are expected to speak on the same day on or after November 27 when the last hearing in the trial at Lisbon’s Palace of Justice is scheduled. Madeleine's parents are convinced their daughter was abducted and insist there is no evidence to suggest she is no longer alive. She would now be 10. Kate and Gerry are suing Mr Amaral over allegations in his book The Truth Of The Lie. And in a day of dramatic developments, former Portuguese colleagues yesterday told the hearing that nothing Mr Amaral wrote in the book was new. Former family liaison officer Ricardo Paiva told the court: "What is in the book is based on our investigation and contains the professional and personal opinions of Goncalo Amaral as a police officer. "Everything that is there can be found in the case files." Mr Paiva insisted the book's publication did not damage the search for Madeleine. He said: "The flow of information continued to come in regularly. Neither this book or any other book affected the flow." Luis Neves, head of a national police unit tasked with investigating organised crime including kidnappings, told the court it was British police who began developing the ­theory Madeleine had died. Sniffer dogs brought in by an officer from the UK were said to have put a huge question mark over the theory that Madeleine was kidnapped. He said: "Our British colleagues said there was a team made up of dogs and their handlers that could help us to find out where the child could be buried. "It was from then on that the Algarve police division decided to allow the dogs to come and the idea of Madeleine's death began to form and things took another direction. I know the suggestion of the dogs was not accepted lightly. We had no experience of it in Portugal and the cost was another factor." But retired police officer Francisco Moita Flores, now a TV commentator, attacked the on-going Metropolitan Police investigation for assuming that Madeleine is dead. "There's a prophetic and dogmatic vision behind it," he said. He described the Portuguese investigation as one of the "most complex and well-investigated cases" he had ever seen and called Mr Amaral "competent". Kate flew to Portugal for the start of the libel trial last month. But so far she has left it to friends and relatives to testify on behalf of the couple. Yesterday Judge Maria Emilia Melo e Castro, referring to her request to make a statement, said: "The court will decide on this application once evidence has been heard by both sides as only then will I be able to judge on the need for and the pertinence of this application." Around 120,000 copies of the book were sold before it was withdrawn when the McCanns won an injunction against the ex-police chief. Portuguese TV station TVI is also being sued over a documentary based on the book. Mr Amaral, 56, denies defamation. The hearing was adjourned until November 5. --------- Note: The following line in this article is incorrect: 'But retired police officer Francisco Moita Flores, now a TV commentator, attacked the on-going Metropolitan Police investigation for assuming that Madeleine is dead.' It should read: 'But retired police officer Francisco Moita Flores, now a TV commentator, attacked the on-going Metropolitan Police investigation for assuming that Madeleine is kidnapped.' The paper edition carries the correct version.

Maddy mum agony: I'll tell all in court, 09 October 2013

Maddy mum agony: I'll tell all in court Daily Mirror (paper edition)   By Martin Fricker Wednesday, 09 October 2013 KATE McCann wants to defend herself in court over heartbreaking smears. The mum, 45, has applied to give evidence in a libel trial in Portugal against a former police chief who suggested Kate's daughter Madeleine died in an accident and her parents tried to cover it up. A source said Kate wants the former officer to "see the pain he caused". FULL STORY: PAGE 4 ----------- Madeleine McCann: Mum Kate wants to give evidence in libel trial against ex-cop Daily Mirror By Martin Fricker | 9 Oct 2013 00:27 The McCann family is suing Goncalo Amaral over claims he made in his book about the case - including alleging they had hidden Madeleine's body   Struggling to cope after the disappearance of her daughter Madeleine, Kate McCann was ­horrified by lurid claims made in a book by a former police chief. It said Madeleine had died in an ­accident which her parents then covered up before hiding her body. Yesterday it emerged that Kate, 45, now wants to appear in court to confront former Portuguese police chief Goncalo Amaral who wrote the book, and to tell him the emotional trauma that it caused. The mum, who has asked for permission to give evidence in the £1million libel trial against the ex-officer, hopes giving an emotional account will help her and husband Gerry win the court case. A source close to the couple said: "Kate is desperate to show the court just how much hurt the book and Mr Amaral caused her. "Kate and Gerry feel the search for Madeleine was hampered by the false claims made in the book. "The claims caused a great deal of distress to them both. That's what Kate wants to tell the court. "She wants to look Mr Amaral in the eye so he can see the pain he caused to her and her family." The sight of ex-GP Kate revealing what she felt about the book would bring the trial in Portugal's capital Lisbon to a remarkable conclusion. It had already emerged that Gerry, also 45, had asked to be a witness during the case at the Palace of Justice. Kate's formal bid to give a statement in open court was revealed yesterday at the restart of the libel trial which should come to an end next month. It emerged that she made the application on October 2. If judge Maria Emilia Melo e Castro approves the request, it is possible Kate could address the court on the same day as Mr Amaral. His book was published in 2008 three days after the McCanns had their status as arguidos – formal suspects – lifted. Madeleine was just three when she vanished from the family's holiday apartment in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz in May 2007. Kate and Gerry were dining with friends at a nearby restaurant at the time she disappeared. The claims in Mr Amaral's book, called The Truth of the Lie, left the parents heartbroken. The McCanns, of Rothley, Leics, are suing Mr Amaral – who also suggested the couple cashed in on £2million of public donations – the publishers and a TV channel. Around 120,000 copies of the book were sold before it was withdrawn when the McCanns were granted an injunction against him. Mr Amaral, 56, insisted everything in his book was already contained in police and court case files which had been made public. Ex-colleagues have told the court the book did not hinder the search. Officers from Operation Grange – the Met police probe into the disappearance – said this week that arrests could be imminent. It came as it emerged that on BBC's Crimewatch show on Monday, Kate and Gerry will launch a new appeal for information on their missing daughter.

Maddie - Mum begs court: Let me clear my name, 09 October 2013

Maddie - Mum begs court: Let me clear my name Daily Star (paper edition) ANGRY Kate McCann wants to defend herself in court against Portuguese police "smears" that she covered up the death of her daughter Madeleine, right. She has asked a judge for permission to peak at her family's £1m libel hearing. Full story: Page 7 -------------   --------------- Maddie mum begs court: Let me clear my name Daily Star FURIOUS Kate McCann wants to defend herself in court against Portuguese police "smears" that she covered up daughter Madeleine's death. By Jerry Lawton / Published 9th October 2013   She has asked a judge for permission to address her family's £1million libel hearing against former police chief Goncalo Amaral over his book The Truth Of The Lie. In it he accused Kate and husband Gerry, both 45, of faking their daughter's abduction to cover up her death in their Algarve holiday flat in 2007. Kate's bid to give evidence was revealed yesterday as Mr Amaral's former police colleagues spoke in his defence at the court in Lisbon, Portugal. Luis Neves, head of a national police unit, said Mr Amaral's conclusion Madeleine was dead was accepted by her parents. He said Kate was the driving force behind a search by ex-South African detective Danie Krugel, who said he had a machine that could find a body. Police also had doubts about sniffer dogs from Britain. "The McCanns convinced us we should bring in the South African man with his equipment," Mr Neves said. "We didn't want to place any obstacles in the way so the investigating officers allowed it. "During this part of the investigation our British colleagues said there was a team made up of dogs and their handlers that could help us. "The Algarve police decided to allow the dogs to come and the idea of Madeleine's death began to form." Retired officer Francisco Moita Flores said the new probe by the Metropolitan Police was based only on "the hypothesis of abduction". The original probe was one of the "most complex and well-investigated cases" he had seen. He said the Mc-Canns and pals should have had their phones tapped because of "inconsistencies" in statements they made. Mr Amaral, 56, denies defamation. The case continues.

Daily Star, paper edition: 'I must defend myself against Maddie cops' smears says mother', 09 October 2013

[text of article same as that online]

Gonçalo Amaral's book may have "misleading advertising", said the Judge, 09 October 2013

Gonçalo Amaral's book may have "misleading advertising", said the Judge Diário de Notícias (paper edition, page 19)   Trial - PJ Director admitted that initial thesis of Maddie's abduction was rushed VALENTINA MARCELINO Wednesday, 9 October 2013 With thanks to Astro/Joana for translation The Judge at the 1st Civil Court of Lisbon who is presiding the McCann couple's lawsuit against the former PJ inspector - who defends the thesis of the parents' responsibility in their daughter Madeleine's death - suggested that Gonçalo Amaral's book may have "misleading advertising", because contrary to what is announced on its back cover it does not contain "unique revelations" about the case of the disappearance of the little girl in 2007, in Praia da Luz. The magistrate's conclusion followed the statements of one of Amaral's defence witnesses that was heard in court yesterday, the PJ inspector Ricardo Paiva, who took part in the investigative team. He stated that 'The Truth of the Lie' did not contain any more information than what was in the files of the process that has been shelved in the mean time, and made public. Thus Gonçalo Amaral's defence seeks to devalue the impact of the accusations that are contained in the book on the McCann family and to empty the arguments that sustain Gerry and Kate McCann's request for 1.2 million as compensation over moral damages. "What are the 'revelations' in the book?" the judge asked Ricardo Paiva. "There is nothing new compared with the inquiry," the inspector replied. "But it says the contrary on the back cover, it says that there are 'unique revelations'. What are those?" the magistrate insisted. "They may be unique to those who bought the book and didn't read the case files," Ricardo Paiva suggested. Ironically, the judge concluded "Then it's misleading advertising!" The McCann couple's lawyers, on the other hand, have been trying to demonstrate that the book contains a lot more information than the criminal process, namely the author's final conclusion that the little girl died in the apartment, which is the motive of the moral damage that was caused to the family. During yesterday's session, the director of the National Counter-Terrorism Unit (UNCT) testified for Gonçalo Amaral's defence and implied that the abduction theory, with which the investigation started right after the little girl's disappearance, may have been rushed. "When Dr Guilhermino Encarnação [former PJ director] held the first press conference and spoke about an abduction, we still didn't know whether it was one thing or another," he said. According to Luís Neves, an abduction expert, at the time, the signs that usually support this type of crime, like "a ransom note", were missing. The director of UNCT also recalled that it was Maddie's parents who, being first to admit that their daughter might be dead, ended up indirectly triggering the arrival in Portugal of the English dogs that detected cadaver odour in the apartment where Maddie disappeared from. And that was when Amaral's thesis started to gain strength. BBC programme SIC guarantees that they were not approached SIC [Portuguese television network and media company, which runs several television channels] was not approached to broadcast BBC's Crimewatch programme on the "Maddie case", contrary to what the English press published. Next Monday, on 14 October, the English TV channel, BBC, that broadcasts Crimewatch, promises to show a reconstruction of Madeleine McCann's disappearance. The script is a result of Scotland Yard's investigation. The British press assured that Portuguese TV channels refused to broadcast it, however when questioned by DN, an official source from SIC guaranteed that they were never contacted. RTP and TVI did not reply up to the closure of this edition.

Gonçalo Amaral's book did not add "anything new", 10 October 2013

Gonçalo Amaral's book did not add "anything new" Jornal de Notícias (paper edition, page 10) 09 October 2013 With thanks to Joana Morais for translation Two members of the Judiciary Police have stated yesterday in court, that Gonçalo Amaral's book did not add anything new to what was already known regarding the process of the investigation of the English child, who disappeared in the Algarve, in May 2007. The statements of these two witnesses, Luís Neves and Ricardo Paiva, concur with Gonçalo Amaral's defence argument, which alleges that the book written by the former coordinator of the Judiciary Police "contained nothing new, nothing that it wasn't published before". Gonçalo Amaral is being tried at Lisbon's Civil Court after a complaint from the McCanns, who claim the book "has deeply affected the family" and seek 1.2 million euros for alleged defamation. Inspector Ricardo Paiva, who was directly involved in the investigation, considered that the book did not add "anything new". Luís Neves, who coordinated part of the investigation and was the then director of the Judiciary Police Organized Crime Unit, stated the same. The judge ended up by ironically saying that the book had "misleading advertising", since the cover promised "revelations" about the case.

McCanns could face court over report, 29 October 2013

McCanns could face court over report Irish Daily Mail (paper edition, page 8) By Gerard Couzens 29 October 2013 THE parents of Madeleine McCann faced further pressure yesterday after ex-police chief Goncalo Amaral hinted he may fight them in court over a key report they allegedly held back. Gerry and Kate McCann were accused at the weekend of sidelining the 2008 report by former MI5 investigators they hired after it pinpointed 'anomalies' in statements they and their friends made. The result was that e-fits of the prime suspect in Madeleine McCann's abduction – hidden for five years in the unpublished report – were only made public this month during a new Met Police appeal. The report said Irish holidaymaker Martin Smith's sighting of a man carrying a girl in pyjamas near the McCann's Algarve holiday apartment was 'credible evidence' which had been 'neglected for too long.' Mr Amaral's lawyer said last night he was considering raising the issue in the couple's ongoing libel trial against the former police chief. The McCanns are seeking one million pounds in damages over the ex-detective's claims in his July 2008 book The Truth of the Lie that they faked their daughter's abduction to cover up her death in their holiday flat. Vitor Santos de Oliveira, who is representing Mr Amaral, said: 'We are aware of the revelations concerning this report by the McCanns' former investigators and believe they are very important. 'It is possible I may try to submit it as evidence to defend my client but I haven't decided yet. 'Nothing's been ruled out. We are analysing the relevance of the report and considering our position. We have no intention of introducing irrelevant material into this case because we respect the McCanns as people and have no intention of harming them for sake of it,' he said. 'But I can tell you that if we feel something is relevant in disproving the McCanns' claims about my client then we will have no hesitation in using it. 'I think the revelations about the suppression of this report are very important with regards to the ongoing criminal case. 'It's a report written by McCann-hired investigators who make strong criticisms of the couple. 'As far as the civil libel case is going we are very calm,' Mr de Oliveira continued. 'My client's arguments in his book have been backed up in court by his former police colleagues who say it was the police position in 2008 when the book was published.' The ongoing libel case launched by the McCanns against Mr Amaral is due to restart next Tuesday.

Day Eight, 05 November 2013

Gonçalo Amaral and Dr Santos de Oliveira outside the Palace of Justice in Lisbon, 05 November 2013

Libel Trial: Day 8 tweets, 05 November 2013

Libel Trial: Day 8 tweets UK Justice Forum Text version of above: UK Justice Forum‏@Justice_Forum 8:42 AM - 5 Nov 13 Today in Lisbon, witnesses Paulo Sargento, Valentim de Carvalho, Luis Varela Marreiros, Mario Lopes, Tania Raposo, Antonio Paulo dos Santos. UK Justice Forum‏@Justice_Forum 1:00 PM - 5 Nov 13 Day 8 of the #McCann vs Gonçalo #Amaral libel case and yet more absent witnesses. Amaral book 'Truth of the Lie' editor on the stand earlier UK Justice Forum‏@Justice_Forum 1:39 PM - 5 Nov 13 Psychologist Paulo Sargento unable to take stand at #McCann vs #Amaral libel trial today as he is on his honeymoon. Will do so on 27th. UK Justice Forum‏@Justice_Forum 1:50 PM - 5 Nov 13 #McCann vs Goncalo #Amaral libel trial gets going again in Lisbon with witnesses from Portuguese TVI and other media. UK Justice Forum‏@Justice_Forum 7:27 PM - 5 Nov 13 #McCann vs #Amaral libel case 3 witnesses today. Mario Sena Lopes, the editor of G&P and this afternoon Antonio dos Santos and Luis Froes. UK Justice Forum‏@Justice_Forum 7:31 PM - 5 Nov 13 #McCann vs #Amaral libel trial. Luis Froes, manager of Valentim de Carvalhos Filmes, was told to return on the 27th to answer questions.

Police chief blamed Kate and Gerry McCann for Madeleine's disappearance 'to ensure Portuguese detectives didn't abandon case', 05 November 2013

Police chief blamed Kate and Gerry McCann for Madeleine's disappearance 'to ensure Portuguese detectives didn't abandon case' Daily Mail Goncalo Amaral was said to have been 'against shelving of original probe' Kate and Gerry McCann are suing Mr Amaral over his claims in 2008 book He alleged couple faked the abduction to cover up her death in Portugal McCanns say book turned people against them when they needed help By GERARD COUZENS PUBLISHED: 20:24, 5 November 2013 | UPDATED: 20:24, 5 November 2013 A former Portuguese police chief blamed Madeleine McCann's parents for the three-year-old girl's disappearance to ensure detectives carried on looking for her, a former colleague claimed today. Antonio Paulo dos Santos told a Lisbon court he believed his friend Goncalo Amaral penned a book pointing the finger at the couple because he was against the shelving of the original investigation. Kate and Gerry McCann are suing Mr Amaral over his claims in his July 2008 book The Truth of the Lie that they faked their daughter's abduction to cover up her death in their holiday apartment.   Trial: Kate and Gerry McCann (right) are suing former Portuguese police chief Goncalo Amaral (left) over his claims in a book that they faked their daughter's abduction to cover up her death in their holiday apartment ------------------ His book was released three days after the Portuguese police probe into the girl's disappearance was archived and the McCanns were told their status as official suspects or arguidos was being lifted. Defence witness Mr dos Santos, who worked with Mr Amaral in the early Nineties and remains in close contact with him, spoke at the hearing this afternoon. He said: 'Everything that's in the book appears to be in the case files. It's not fictional. They are the conclusions of a factual analysis by Goncalo Amaral as the head of the police investigation. 'I think the main reason he wrote the book was so that the case would continue to be investigated. When he published the book I presume he didn't agree with its archiving.' Today's libel trial hearing was the first since Portuguese authorities announced last month they were reopening their probe into Madeleine's disappearance more than five years after it was shelved. The morning court session started with a disappointment for the defence when it emerged a key witness was on honeymoon and his evidence had to be rescheduled for a later date.   Publication: Mr Amaral's 2008 book was released three days after the Portuguese police probe into the girl's disappearance was archived and the McCanns were told their status as official suspects was being lifted -------------------- Criminologist and university professor Paulo Sargento was expected to support Mr Amaral and say he did not believe Madeleine had been abducted from her Algarve holiday apartment. In October 2007 he created a 3D reconstruction of the night on May 3, 2007 when Madeleine disappeared - and concluded any abductor would only have had eight minutes in which to strike.   He later came up with a computer edit based on witness statements of a long-haired bearded man which the McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell insisted at the time could cause confusion. Mario Sena Lopes, editor of Guerra & Paz which published Mr Amaral's controversial book, admitted he could not guarantee all copies had been returned after the McCanns successfully injected it. The couple secured a temporary injunction in September 2008 before a court upheld the ban in February 2010 after a challenge from Mr Amaral. The injunction was lifted again in March 2011. Mr Lopes, who is still Mr Amaral's literary agent, told the hearing: 'There are always booksellers who do not respect the orders of the distributors.' He also admitted knowing the book had been circulated in Brazil but insisted Guerra & Paz had nothing to do with it. Luis Vale Frois, former managing director of a firm which distributed a DVD of a documentary based on Mr Amaral's book, said it was inevitable pirate copies would find their way onto the Internet. He told the hearing: 'If this week you release a series on TV, next week it's already on the internet with Portuguese subtitles.'   Concern: Kate and Gerry McCann claim Mr Amaral's book turned Portuguese people against them when they most needed their help in finding their daughter ------------------- Mr Amaral, removed as head of the Madeleine McCann probe in October 2007 after criticising the British police, attended court for the trial as he has done every day since its start in September. ANGER AT MONTEIRO REPORTS Portuguese-based Cape Verdean associations have reacted angrily to reports an immigrant thief has been blamed for Madeleine McCann's disappearance and death. It emerged last week Euclides Monteiro, who died in a tractor accident in 2009, was a suspect. A spokesman for a Cape Verdean association said: 'The representatives of Cape Verdean associations in Portugal always defend the normal workings of justice and the idea that unlawful behaviour should be punished accordingly through the proper legal channels. 'However we denounce the fact that this immigrant cannot defend himself from these accusations in the Madeleine McCann case which could, conveniently, remove blame from other people and ease some consciences. 'We discover history repeating itself - with yet another Cape Verdian suspect and a community which feels once again smeared.' He has been critical of a new British police appeal about the six-and-a-half year-old mystery, branding it a 'PR campaign of intoxication and misinformation.' But he declined to comment today on the reopened Portuguese police investigation into Madeleine's disappearance. Mr Amaral's lawyer Vitor dos Santos insisted outside court: 'We are not going to make any comment about the criminal investigation. This is a civil case and when it's over my client will be free to speak. No lawyer should make any statements about people being absolved or not being absolved from an investigation. 'This is not the time to be saying anything about it because it makes no sense to do so.' The McCanns claim Mr Amaral's book turned Portuguese people against them when they most needed their help in finding their daughter. The ex-police chief is denying defamation and insists everything in the book was contained in police files. Former police colleagues have given evidence backing his argument. The McCanns, of Rothley, Leicestershire, have applied to take the witness stand as well as Mr Amaral. Judge Maria Emilia Melo e Castro is expected to rule on their application at the end of the month. The case, scheduled to finish in December, continues.

Maddie cop on 'side of parents', 06 November 2013

Maddie cop on 'side of parents' Daily Star (paper edition, page 5) by JERRY LAWTON Wednesday, November 6, 2013 The former police chief who wrote a book accusing Madeleine McCann's parents of covering up her death was trying to encourage officers to keep looking for her. Goncalo Amaral shared the desire of Madeleine's parents to keep the case open, a court was told. That was the reason he penned his controversial best seller about the case, former police colleague Antonio Paulo dos Santos told a Lisbon court. He said Amaral wrote his 2008 book The Truth Of The Lie because he opposed the Portuguese police decision to shelve the case. He said: "Everything that's in the book appears to be in the case files. It's not fictional." Kate and Gerry McCann are suing Mr Amaral for £1million over his claims they faked their daughter's abduction to cover up her death in their holiday flat. Mr Amaral's book was released three days after the Portuguese police investigation into the youngster's disappearance was shelved. The hearing continues.

Day Nine: Lawyers meeting (no witnesses heard), 19 November 2013

Libel trial McCann v Gonçalo Amaral - Day 9, 19 November 2013

Libel trial McCann v Gonçalo Amaral - Day 9 UK Justice Forum With thanks to Anne Guedes for report Libel Trial > McCann v Gonçalo Amaral - Day 9 Lisbon - Tuesday 19 Nov 2013 All lawyers are present. VCFilmes/Multimedia's lawyer is substituted by a lawyer who states that she took part in the Providência Cautelar (Injunction hearing).  Witnesses due to testify today are dismissed by defendants TVI, VC and Gonçalo Amaral and will no longer be required to give evidence. The Judge starts the session by raising the issue of documents requested by the plaintiffs evidencing the value of royalties paid to Gonçalo Amaral. She reminds the Court that G&P's position is that the request is extemporaneous and illegal and that no other payment was received beyond that previously declared to the Court.  One such document relates to a request to Gonçalo Amaral to provide receipts X and Y specific to the period from 17 - 30 October 2008 and from 6 - 30 November 2009. The Judge adds that any others are of no consequence since G&P has proven that no other royalties were paid to Gonçalo Amaral. The Judge reminds the Court of the principle that when a Party declares to another Party that a requested document does not exist or is not in their possession, the legal remedy is not for the pursuer to make a further request but to prove through whatever means that the respondent is being untruthful.  The Judge therefore grants a request by the plaintiffs that receipts be provided as previously requested since the defender has failed to produce the information sought. TVI must provide an extract of accounts for the fiscal years 2008, 2009 and 2010 related to VCFilmes and VCMultimédia. They are given 10 days to produce the relevant documents. The Judge omits partially a request concerning the accounts of VCFilmes, which are limited to the period from the 7 February 2012 onwards. VCFilmes is also given 10 days to produce the documents. The Judge reminds the Court that the request by the plaintiffs is related to the search of material facts in order that justice is done. However, she adds that the lawyer representing G&P should consider that if any of the documents requested in the process contain information unrelated to Gonçalo Amaral then that should be maintained apart for commercial and/or fiscal reasons. The defence is therefore authorised to present said documents in the judicial section in order to protect any commercially sensitive information, making only available that which relates to the process concerning the relationship between G&P and Gonçalo Amaral. G&P is given 10 days to respond to the request. The Judge adds that G&P has already provided indications about the financial aspect of the publication of the book and about the number of books that have been sold. The Judge finally confirms that the date of the next hearing will be on Wednesday 27 November 2013. The date for the final allegations will then be fixed. End of session.

Disgraced Madeleine McCann detective must reveal how much money he made from book about bungled Maddie probe, 20 November 2013

Disgraced Madeleine McCann detective must reveal how much money he made from book about bungled Maddie probe Daily Mirror By Andy Lines | 20 Nov 2013 00:00 A judge ordered Goncalo Amaral to hand over receipts - Gerry and KateMcCann are suing him for £1million over his book The Truth of the Lie   Disgraced former detective Goncalo Amaral was yesterday ordered by a judge in Lisbon to reveal how much cash he made from a book about the bungled Madeleine McCann probe. Amaral, 56, has 10 days to hand over receipts. The book's publishers and the producers of a TV documentary were also instructed to reveal how much they paid him in royalties. Gerry and Kate, both 45, are suing him for £1million over his book The Truth of the Lie, in which he claimed they covered up their girl's death in the Algarve in 2007. He denies defamation. --------------- Maddie cop order Daily Mirror (paper edition, page 19) Wednesday 20.11.2013  [text as per online article]

Court Orders Madeleine McCann Detective Concalo Amaral to Reveal Earnings from Conspiracy Book, 20 November 2013

Court Orders Madeleine McCann Detective Concalo Amaral to Reveal Earnings from Conspiracy Book International Business Times By DOMINIC GOVER | November 20, 2013 11:05 AM GMT A judge in Lisbon has ordered Portuguese police chief Goncalo Amaral to reveal how much he earned from a book he wrote, claiming Madeleine McCann was dead and her parents were to blame. Concalo Amaral must hand over receipts showing how much he raked in from sales of his 2008 book The Truth of the Lie. The order was made during Amaral's trial for libel. Kate and Jerry McCann are suing him for £1m over defamatory claims against them. The producers of a TV documentary must also reveal how much Amaral, 56, was paid to take part in it, the court ruled. The Truth of the Lie remains unpublished in Britain because of its explosive allegations, which led to Amaral being discredited as a reliable source of insight about events surrounding McCann's disappearance. It was released only three days after Kate and Jerry were dropped as suspects in the disappearence of Madeleine, one year after Madeleine vanished in 2007. Former police chief Amaral claimed in his book that that Madeleine died in the apartment block in Praia da Luz and that her parents constructed the disappearance narrative to cover it up. He denies defamation.

Day Ten: Screening of documentary and interview, 27 November 2013

Judge postpones decision on Plaintiff statements until 7 January 2014, 27 November 2013

Judge postpones decision on Plaintiff statements until 7 January 2014 UK Justice Forum - Twitter [text version of above] UK Justice Forum @Justice_forum 17:05 AM - 27 Nov 2013 Day 10 of the #McCann Family v Gonçalo #Amaral & Others libel trial. Witness Paulo Sargento dismissed by court and will no longer testify. UK Justice Forum @Justice_forum 17:07 AM - 27 Nov 2013 Day 10 of the #McCann Family v Gonçalo #Amaral & Others libel trial. Judge postpones decision on Plaintiff statements until 7 January 2014.

Portugal court sets 2014 hearing in Maddie libel case, 27 November 2013

Portugal court sets 2014 hearing in Maddie libel case Global Post Agence France-Presse | November 27, 2013 12:47 A Portuguese judge on Wednesday delayed until early 2014 the final hearing in a libel case brought by the parents of missing Madeleine McCann. Kate and Gerry McCann are suing Goncalo Amaral, the former lead detective in the hunt for Madeleine, after she vanished from their Portugal holiday apartment in May 2007. The couple were staying in the southern Algarve resort of Praia da Luz when their daughter, just days shy of her fourth birthday, went missing from her bedroom as they dined at a nearby tapas bar. Judge Maria Emilia Melo e Castro set January 7 as the date for final hearings or possible testimony by Madeleine's parents and Amaral. The court will rule on whether it will hear testimony by the two parties before that date, she said. Amaral, who led the Portuguese police investigation, wrote a book advancing the theory that Madeleine died accidentally and that her parents were implicated in her death. The family is seeking the equivalent of £1 million (1.2 million euros, $1.6 million) in damages. Kate and Gerry McCann have argued that the book impeded the search for their daughter. On Wednesday morning, the court heard the final witness in the case and watched a documentary adapted from Amaral's book. Portuguese authorities said last month they were reopening their probe into the disappearance of Madeleine. Portuguese authorities closed their investigation into her disappearance in 2008, but Scotland Yard spent two years reviewing it at the British government's request and opened their own probe in July this year. The McCanns have led a six-year campaign to find Madeleine, who they believe was kidnapped and is still alive.

Closing arguments not until 2014, 27 November 2013

Closing arguments not until 2014 Nova Gente 27 November 2013, 18h08m The closing arguments in the case that the parents of Maddie McCann have brought against Gonçalo Amaral will not be heard until the month of January next year. Today was held, in the 1st Civil Court of Lisbon, the hearing of the defamation lawsuit that Kate and Gerry McCann have brought against the former judicial police inspector Gonçalo Amaral. The video reconstruction of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann - based on the first six months of the investigation - and an interview with Gonçalo Amaral by Julia Pinheiro, from the morning programme on SIC, were screened by the court. At the next hearing, scheduled for January 7, 2014, and in accordance with the judge, any statements of the parties will be heard - McCann and Amaral - should they be allowed, and closing arguments. Due to the impossibility of fixing a suitable time between the defense and the prosecution it was not possible to schedule the arguments, and the final trial session for the parties, to an earlier date.

Closing arguments in Amaral libel case set for January, 05 November 2013

Closing arguments in Amaral libel case set for January The Portugal News BY BRENDAN BEER · 05-12-2013 15:04:00 The closing arguments in the libel case against the former Portuguese police detective Gonçalo Amaral instituted by parents of Madeleine McCann have been set for 7 January by a Lisbon high court. The Lisbon Civil Court revealed that the final allegations by the legal team representing Kate and Gerry McCann will start at 9.30am. In this civil case, the McCanns are demanding compensation of 1.2 million euros from Amaral who was the lead investigator for the first six months into the case of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. In his book, 'Maddie: The Truth of the Lie', Amaral defended the theory that Kate and Gerry McCann could be guilty of concealing a body. Running parallel to the libel case is an injunction by the McCanns stopping Amaral from selling his book and a DVD which was aired on Portuguese television channel TVI. The injunction came to force in January 2010, when a Lisbon court ruled the book and video could not be circulated in Portugal. The decision was later overturned by a Lisbon Appeal Court, but following a counter claim by the McCanns, the Supreme Justice Tribunal upheld the earlier verdict against Amaral. Madeleine McCann has been missing since the night of 3 May 2007. The investigation into her disappearance was shelved in July 2008 due to a lack of evidence, but re-opened this year on 24 October by the Portuguese Attorney-General's Office. In a statement sent to The Portugal News, the Attorney-General explained: "The Public Prosecutor's Office has determined the re-opening of the inquiry relating to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann following a proposal by the Polícia Judiciária and due to the presentation of new elements which justify the continuation of the investigation." Portuguese police, while conducting a separate investigation, have also been asked to assist Scotland Yard in following up separate lines of inquiry. The controversial book which runs over 200 pages, was released shortly after the case was closed in 2008 and also saw the former chief inspector resign permanently from the police force that year to, as he put it, unveil the "facts of the investigation". Speaking to The Portugal News shortly after releasing his book, Gonçalo Amaral lamented the fact that the case had been closed. "We should have continued investigating the parents in order to either charge them or rule them out as suspects", he said in the summer of 2008. "If I represented this couple, I would have insisted that police investigations continue. Not everything we do is to incriminate a suspect. Often a phone will be tapped in order to obtain information that will clear a suspect." When questioned over the probability of a lawsuit over the release of his book, he replied: "My book is based on facts. It could be a good occasion to take all the case files to court and compare what I wrote with that which is contained in the files." Speaking to The Portugal News in early 2009, Gerry McCann stressed "that there is no evidence that Madeleine is dead and there is no evidence to suggest that Kate and I were involved in any theories." Gerry McCann also insisted they would have been legally compelled to be available for a reconstruction due to their status as arguidos, even the motives of Portuguese police were questionable. "Don't get me wrong, we had major concerns as to why the reconstruction was being done", arguing that "the police reconstruction was not aimed at finding Madeleine, but rather to look for inconsistencies. There were 12 or 15 people involved and it is inevitable there would be inconsistencies."