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The man in charge of
the Portuguese police investigation into
Madeleine McCann's disappearance has
said that Scotland Yard is at the same
stage he was at in 2007.
Gonçalo Amaral, who was removed from the
case after accusing the McCanns of
involvement in their daughter's
disappearance, told ITV News that the
latest e-fits are promising.
"Every one of us on the investigation at
the time found that lead important – as
we see now that it is," he said.
ITV News' Europe Correspondent Emma
Murphy reports from Praia Du Luz in
Portugal: |
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Transcript
By Nigel Moore
Julie Etchingham: [ITV
News Presenter, not on this video] The
detective who first led the
investigation into Madeleine McCann's
disappearance says the Scotland Yard
review has made no more progress than he
did.
Gonçalo Amaral told ITV
News this evening the sightings, that
the newly publicised e-fits were based
on, were a key part of his investigation
too.
Our Europe Correspondent
Emma Murphy reports now from Portugal
Emma Murphy: [voice
over] They've been without their eldest
daughter for six years, maintaining a
hope they will be
reunited. It's a hope Kate and Gerry
McCann say has been reinforced by the
unprecedented response to the new
investigation into Madeleine's
disappearance. Both now say they're
genuinely hopeful of a major
breakthrough.
Kate McCann: [on
Crimewatch] Well, the general pubic have
been fantastic but please stay with us
and come forward.
Emma Murphy: [voice
over] The appeal and reconstruction of
Madeleine's disappearance broadcast last
night generated around a thousand phone
calls. Crucially, a number of those
calls gave the same name for this man,
who was seen by a British family
carrying a child, just like Madeleine,
through the streets of Praia da Luz the
night she vanished.
Chief inspector Gonçalo
Amaral was in charge of the
investigation at the time. He was taken
off the case after accusing the McCanns
of involvement in Madeleine's
disappearance. He's now being sued by
them for libel. However, he told me the
sighting was one of the best leads and
was missed. He says the child may well
have been Madeleine.
Gonçalo Amaral: [through
translator] Every one of us on the
investigation found that lead important
- as we see now that it is.
Emma Murphy: But
if everyone thought it was so important, why was
the sighting not properly pursued?
Gonçalo Amaral: When
I left the investigation in Portimão
there was a gap and the man who came to
replace me discarded that hypothesis. He
didn't want to follow that lead.
Emma Murphy: What
do you feel about the British Inquiry?
Gonçalo Amaral: There
are in the same place that we were back
in 2007. That is, they have a man we see
carrying a child in his arms. We got
there in 6 months - British police took
2 years.
Emma Murphy: [voice
over] For those to whom Madeleine
matters the most, acknowledgment of
unfollowed leads is unlikely to generate
surprise but will surely add to the
frustration which has dogged the past
six years.
Emma Murphy, ITV News,
Portugal |
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