British police helped the Portuguese authorities “develop evidence”
against
Madeleine McCann’s
parents, according to the latest revelations by WikiLeaks
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Leicestershire
police acted as a liaison between their Portuguese
counterparts and the McCanns Photo: PA |
The
website claims that two weeks after
Kate and
Gerry McCann were formally declared as “arguidos” – people of
specific interest to the investigation, or suspects – a meeting took
place between the US ambassador, Al Hoffman, and the British ambassador,
Alexander Wykeham Ellis.
In a
diplomatic cable marked confidential, the US ambassador reported:
"Without delving into the details of the case, Ellis admitted that the
British police had developed the current evidence against the McCann
parents, and he stressed that authorities from both countries were
working co-operatively."
The comments attributed to the ambassador throw fresh light on the case
built against the McCanns, which was widely believed to have been driven
by the Portuguese police, and in particular the extent of the
involvement of the British police and authorities.
Led by a
unit at Leicestershire police, their main involvement with the inquiry
was acting as liaison between their Portuguese counterparts and the
McCanns, and gathering evidence of suspected sightings or other
allegations that were called in by British residents or citizens living
abroad.
However,
at least one
sniffer dog
was used in the investigation and, according to reports, was
said to have picked up the scent of a dead body in the
apartment.
In
November 2007 – two months after the ambassadors’ alleged discussion –
Portuguese and British police came face to face for the first time since
Madeleine’s disappearance six months earlier from her hotel complex in
the Algarve village of
Praia da Luz, for three days of talks in Leicester.
In one
heated meeting, it is believed that the Portuguese police were furious
that DNA tests taken from the McCanns’
hire car
and analysed at the Forensic
Science Services laboratory near Birmingham, failed to show anything
conclusive.
In one
of two cables referring to the case, the US ambassador wrote: "Madeleine
McCann's disappearance in the south of Portugal in May 2007 has
generated international media attention with controversy surrounding the
Portuguese-led police investigation and the actions of Madeleine's
parents."
He
reported that his British counterpart thought "that the media frenzy was
to be expected and was acceptable as long as government officials keep
their comments behind closed doors".
It was
not until 21 July 2008 that the Portuguese authorities shelved their
investigation and lifted the McCann’s arguido status.
Yesterday a
spokesman
for the McCanns said: "This is an entirely historic
note that is more than three years old. Subsequently, Kate and Gerry had
their arguido status lifted, with the Portuguese authorities making it
perfectly clear that there was absolutely no evidence to implicate them
in Madeleine's disappearance whatsoever.
"To this
day, they continue to work tirelessly on the search for their daughter,
co-operating when appropriate with both the Portuguese and British
authorities."
A
spokesman for Leicestershire police said that their involvement in the
investigation was limited to coordinating UK-based inquiries on behalf
of the Portuguese authorities |
