New suspects are to be interviewed by Portuguese police in the Madeleine McCann enquiry, two of them are British expats who were living in Portugal at the time of the girl’s disappearance in 2007.
The two British men have been declared formal suspects, or arguidos, and local police will be questioning them later this month and will obtain DNA samples.
A further four individuals are being treated as witnesses and two further British expats, a man and a woman, will assist the local Portuguese police as witnesses.
Any DNA samples collected as part of this new series of interviews will be cross checked against evidence taken at the time of the original investigation.
The Portuguese police enquiry is running in parallel with Operation Grange and detectives from Scotland Yard are still ‘pursuing a number of lines of inquiry.’
The theory that Madeleine McCann was abducted by a local Portuguese man who has since died in a tractor accident, has been scuppered by DNA tests which ruled out the former Ocean Club employee Euclides Monteiro from Portelas, near Lagos.
This summer detectives questioned four Portuguese men about Madeleine’s disappearance but the Portuguese police are now looking at the possibility that one or more foreign nationals abducted Madeleine, rather than a local Portuguese.
Last month forensic specialists visited Portugal to review the samples and evidence collected at the time of Madeline’s disappearance and in July officers questioned four Portuguese nationals.
The June search for evidence by a British police team on wasteland near to the resort revealed nothing new.
Whether the Operation Grange team has been kept abreast of the Portuguese equiries is not yet known but detectives from Scotland Yard are expected to be allowed to sit in during the questioning of these latest suspects although no official request has yet been received.
Comments
This discussion 'dances' round the topic ...
http://www.expatfocus.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=40539/start=7/
If someone can explain to us genuine British how a Portuguese can grow into adulthood, with all their achievements not only 'behind them' centuries ago but since, as they teach it, robbed from them by stronger European countries such as the UK and it not manifest itself as prejudicing against say the British today ... go for it !
Certainly the experiences of so many British here in Portugal, in particular when attempting to be legally licensed self employed with their Portuguese assets of house or land - is of abject failure. Only the crimnal British getting anywhere !
Proving the point.
And we never ever hear of a Portuguese explaining why their history is 'anti-British'!!
Perhaps because it would 'spoil the game' ?
So a British complaining of being robbed by a municipal tecnico, lawyer, architect, builder, ... whatever gets the standard reply from the Portuguese schizoidly pretending they are British. "In all my years here I can honestly say I have not had this problem"
No mention that the Portuguese claim to have 'just' come out of 60 odd years of the most controlling and longest lasting fascist police state known. Where so many concepts - not least 'equal rights' were just empty imaginings. Or if made more solid - something that could cost you your life.
That people were dying to gain the freedoms a British is born with.
And that, at this years 40th celebration the very Army captains that had been celebrated for making the revolution happen ... themselves doubted they had achieved anything substantial.
Why else is the Portuguese psyche - as often discussed in their own press - the most disturbed in Europe ? Because it still does not connect with Europe ?
To Donald, I have been coming to the Algarve for 25 years, have owned property here for 15, and have been spending half my time here for the last 3 years. Never once have I had to cross any palms with silver or been expected to.
In fact I think the Portuguese are more honest than Brits - I wouldn't leave my car unlocked in Britain.
As Chez says, why do you stay here?
Totally unecessarily compared to how the 100,000+ Portuguese are treated in the UK.
So often a delay, incompetence or down right dishonesty is initially dressed up as 'Must be a misunderstanding, Guv'nor'. But cross my hand with some silver and I'll put it right.
Whether a municipal officer, lawyer, architect, builder ... whatever.
Then they are back for more palm crossing with silver. Then they start saying its more difficult than I thought. Or - the killer - you are not trying hard enough - this is Portugal.
Then they disappear and another one - or the 1st ones cousin - presents themselves to 'put things right - for some silver'.
Thousands of British have been misled by this trap ... read the childrens history books and you will see where the anti-British thinking comes from. Long out of date (for us British) colonial squabbles.
But squabbles that were just yesterday to Portuguese as without their yesterdays they are, as today, nothing !
Yes, they are polite and friendly to your face, but can you know what they really feel when you are not there?
You're living in a different Portugal to me matey. I find them the most charming and friendly people I've met.
Anyone aware of the schizoid loathing many Portuguese have for the British (but not their money - whether here or in the UK!) - will not have any problem accepting that the ordinary Portuguese 'plod' also has that racist attitude to his counterpart the British copper.
The Gamble report made this clear, with several trips out by various UK police in the early days to offer advice - getting no-where with Amaral and his 'team'. Who were running such a different kind of search for the missing Madeleine.
Much preferring instead, as the world now knows, to 'beat mothers with missing children' to get confessions.
And Amaral going to his grave angry he never got the chance to force a confession out of Mrs McCann!
But then so much about the Portuguese is 'different'. With the 'history' they teach themselves - about how bad the old European powers were to the Portuguese over the centuries - what the **** are they doing in the European Union in the first place ?
Isn't the give away their fondness for the Chinese of Macao ?