Madeleine McCann Missing-Praia Da Luz, Portugal 3/05/07 #1

[NYC_lover]

FOXNEWS:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,297906,00.html

No Body Means No Conviction of McCanns, Admits Prosecutor

The police case against Kate and Gerry McCann for allegedly killing their daughter appeared to be crumbling Monday after a senior prosecutor said that Madeleine’s body must be found to secure a conviction.

The development came as the McCann family said they expected to spend a year fighting to clear their names, and that they would rather Madeleine were found dead than be left in the “awful limbo” of not knowing her fate.

It is also thought that former military personnel are searching for the girl, who disappeared just before her fourth birthday.

António Cluny, the president of the Portuguese public prosecutors’ service, said it appeared there was insufficient evidence that Madeleine was killed by her parents. His comments came after an increasing number of reports in Portugal that samples taken from the McCanns’ apartment and rental car were inconclusive. Last week, a judge said that police had failed to gather new evidence to justify re-interviewing the couple.

The McCanns have insisted that any samples from Madeleine found in the Renault Scénic hired 25 days after her disappearance could have come from her clothes or belongings that were carried in the car.

Cluny told the 24 Horas newspaper, “Without the little girl’s body, everything is extremely complicated. There have been cases where it has been possible to obtain a conviction without there being a victim, but there were confessions.

“One cannot accuse a person of homicide without there being very strong evidence. In the Maddie case there is no confession, and according to what has been made public, the evidence gathered up until now keeps all leads open, from abduction to homicide or at least to a simple accident.”

When asked if it would be possible to secure a conviction, he said, “It is highly possible; it is just harder.”

His comments will be a blow to senior officers in the PolÍcia Judiciária (PJ), who have told Portuguese journalists that they have compelling evidence that the McCanns accidentally killed their daughter before disposing of her body.

The PJ is reported to have been ordered by the public prosecutor to find Madeleine’s body or accept that the McCanns will not be charged. A police source told 24 Horas, “It is our great priority ... Finding the body is fundamental to solving the case.” The source said that the case against the McCanns, from Rothley, Leicestershire, was “hanging by a thread.”

A source close to the McCanns’ legal team said yesterday that they expected to remain arguidos, or formal suspects, for months. Portuguese law allows for the status of formal suspect to be extended for up to a year. The source said, “The mood is that they’re in this for the long haul. They’re assuming that this could go the full year.”

The McCanns fear a “worst-case scenario” of Madeleine’s body never being found, a friend said, “If there is no body found and they are not charged and their arguido status falls away, then they’ll have this hanging over their heads. But that’s unacceptable because they are innocent. Why should they have this stain on their characters? It would be the worst-case scenario because nobody, least of all them, will ever know what’s happened.”

It is thought that former Armed Forces personnel are involved in the search for Madeleine. A source said that Control Risks Group, a private investigations company, had been helping the McCanns since May in a pro bono advisory capacity, but did not have employees “on the ground.”

Clarence Mitchell, the McCanns’ spokesman, said yesterday, “They hope desperately that the next phone call is, ‘We have found her and she’s OK.’ I am not naive but that is still a possibility.They are positive and they are working hard to find Madeleine and, secondly, to clearing their name.”

[Anna]

Interesting that they take the Paulus vd Sloot approach.  I also find the following rather chilling:

The development came as the McCann family said they expected to spend a year fighting to clear their names, and that they would rather Madeleine were found dead than be left in the “awful limbo” of not knowing her fate.
--------


Personally, I would rather find my own child alive than clear my name.  But that's just me.  I fully understand others may feel differently about something like that.  Obviously the McCanns would rather know Madeleine is dead than not learn what happened to her.  Even in that unfortunate case, I would still rather my child be alive with the hope of some day finding her.



.

[Sam]

I so agree Anna.

I believe the chances are slim of finding an alive Madeline but we can always hope. I always think of Steven Staynor.


NYC Lover , I really like your new avatar. Suits your personality. That is a compliment.

[Bobo2]

Personally, I would rather find my own child alive than clear my name.  But that's just me.  I fully understand others may feel differently about something like that.  Obviously the McCanns would rather know Madeleine is dead than not learn what happened to her.  Even in that unfortunate case, I would still rather my child be alive with the hope of some day finding her.

Anna, you must have read something into the McCanns quote that I did not.  Of course they would rather their child be alive.  But I agree with them that not knowing her fate is worse than finding out she is deceased.  I think it is incorrect and judgmental to assume they are more concerned about clearing their name than finding her alive. Just my opinion.

[SteveDinMD]

FOXNEWS:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,297906,00.html

No Body Means No Conviction of McCanns, Admits Prosecutor

The police case against Kate and Gerry McCann for allegedly killing their daughter appeared to be crumbling Monday after a senior prosecutor said that Madeleine’s body must be found to secure a conviction.

The development came as the McCann family said they expected to spend a year fighting to clear their names, and that they would rather Madeleine were found dead than be left in the “awful limbo” of not knowing her fate.

It is also thought that former military personnel are searching for the girl, who disappeared just before her fourth birthday.

António Cluny, the president of the Portuguese public prosecutors’ service, said it appeared there was insufficient evidence that Madeleine was killed by her parents. His comments came after an increasing number of reports in Portugal that samples taken from the McCanns’ apartment and rental car were inconclusive. Last week, a judge said that police had failed to gather new evidence to justify re-interviewing the couple.

The McCanns have insisted that any samples from Madeleine found in the Renault Scénic hired 25 days after her disappearance could have come from her clothes or belongings that were carried in the car.

Cluny told the 24 Horas newspaper, “Without the little girl’s body, everything is extremely complicated. There have been cases where it has been possible to obtain a conviction without there being a victim, but there were confessions.

“One cannot accuse a person of homicide without there being very strong evidence. In the Maddie case there is no confession, and according to what has been made public, the evidence gathered up until now keeps all leads open, from abduction to homicide or at least to a simple accident.”

When asked if it would be possible to secure a conviction, he said, “It is highly possible; it is just harder.”

His comments will be a blow to senior officers in the PolÍcia Judiciária (PJ), who have told Portuguese journalists that they have compelling evidence that the McCanns accidentally killed their daughter before disposing of her body.

The PJ is reported to have been ordered by the public prosecutor to find Madeleine’s body or accept that the McCanns will not be charged. A police source told 24 Horas, “It is our great priority ... Finding the body is fundamental to solving the case.” The source said that the case against the McCanns, from Rothley, Leicestershire, was “hanging by a thread.”

A source close to the McCanns’ legal team said yesterday that they expected to remain arguidos, or formal suspects, for months. Portuguese law allows for the status of formal suspect to be extended for up to a year. The source said, “The mood is that they’re in this for the long haul. They’re assuming that this could go the full year.”

The McCanns fear a “worst-case scenario” of Madeleine’s body never being found, a friend said, “If there is no body found and they are not charged and their arguido status falls away, then they’ll have this hanging over their heads. But that’s unacceptable because they are innocent. Why should they have this stain on their characters? It would be the worst-case scenario because nobody, least of all them, will ever know what’s happened.”

It is thought that former Armed Forces personnel are involved in the search for Madeleine. A source said that Control Risks Group, a private investigations company, had been helping the McCanns since May in a pro bono advisory capacity, but did not have employees “on the ground.”

Clarence Mitchell, the McCanns’ spokesman, said yesterday, “They hope desperately that the next phone call is, ‘We have found her and she’s OK.’ I am not naive but that is still a possibility.They are positive and they are working hard to find Madeleine and, secondly, to clearing their name.”

I think we now get a clear picture of the Portugese "exit strategy."  The implicit admission from the prosecutor's office is that there is no evidence against the parents, yet they remain officially under suspicion until such time as the police are able to recover Madeline's body (to enable prosecution) or their official status is allowed to lapse over time.  For their part, the police have announced that their "great priority" is recovering Madeline's body.  This ffectively means that no one among Portugese authorities is searching for Madeline in earnest.  They're simply going through the motions, pretending to look for remains that they know aren't there.  A year or more down the road they'll officially drop the case once the McCanns' official suspect status is recinded.  The case will be declared officially unsolved, and the Portugese will forever maintain their preferred fiction that Madeline wasn't abducted from one of their resort.  According to their calculus, the Portugese have evidently determined that the fate of one 4-year-old girl is less important than protecting the reputation of their tourist industry.  It's scandalous, but, alas, predictable. 

[Anna]

Personally, I would rather find my own child alive than clear my name.  But that's just me.  I fully understand others may feel differently about something like that.  Obviously the McCanns would rather know Madeleine is dead than not learn what happened to her.  Even in that unfortunate case, I would still rather my child be alive with the hope of some day finding her.

Anna, you must have read something into the McCanns quote that I did not.  Of course they would rather their child be alive.  But I agree with them that not knowing her fate is worse than finding out she is deceased.  I think it is incorrect and judgmental to assume they are more concerned about clearing their name than finding her alive. Just my opinion.

Where did I say the McCanns were more concerned about clearing their name than finding her alive?  I said I would be and I said I personally would rather still hold out the hope of my own child being alive even if I never found it out than to know that she is dead.

You seem to be reading more into what I said than is there but I surely do not agree that I would rather know my child was dead than never learn what happened to her.

Until death is confirmed absolutely, there is still hope.  Of course, we would all rather know for sure one way or the other but I think it would be far better to never know and the child actually still be living.

That is exactly what I find so odd about their sentiment.  I can't even imagine a parent who would rather their child be dead than to never learn what happened to her.

And that is what makes me wonder just what they are thinking. 

[Anna]

I so agree Anna.

I believe the chances are slim of finding an alive Madeline but we can always hope. I always think of Steven Staynor.


NYC Lover , I really like your new avatar. Suits your personality. That is a compliment.

Yes, and Elizabeth Smart.  Sure, knowing would alleviate the stress for the parents but this does not strike me as something a parent would rather know no matter the agony of not knowing.

Which brings us to the author of that article's second stated goal of clearing their name.  And since all the sources quoted for the McCanns are their professional PR campaign workers, friends or family, this still comes out and just strikes me as a most peculiar sentiment.

JMO and certainly no one is required to agree with it.  But unless the forum rules have changed, I am still entitled to one without being called judgmental.  That's what we all are doing since no one knows what happened to this child.

.

[sleddogs]

'Madeleine Photo' Under Investigation
Updated: 23:22, Tuesday September 25, 2007

Interpol are said to be examining a photo taken in Morocco that could show Madeleine McCann.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,91210-1285733,00.html

[MuffyBee]

From Times Online
September 25, 2007
McCanns could face charges over security firm
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2529582.ece
Kate and Gerry McCann could face criminal charges for using a private security company to investigate the disappearance of their daughter, a senior Portuguese judge has said.

The couple have been secretly receiving advice for more than four months from Control Risks Group, which employs former members of the British intelligence services and special forces.

News of the investigators’ role has led to deep concern amongst the authorities in Portugal, where it is illegal for private detectives to become involved in criminal cases.
A source close to the McCann’s legal team has confirmed the involvement of Control Risks Group but insisted it is simply providing advice on the hunt for Madeleine rather than becoming actively involved in searches in Portugal.
He said: “You can assume that they are doing some things that the Portuguese police can’t do. Nothing illegal is being done in Portugal.”

Antonio Martins, president of the Association of Portuguese Judges, told the 24 Horas newspaper: “It is still up to the state to carry out criminal investigation. That kind of activity has no legal standing. Anything that results from private investigation has no substance.”

The judge said that Mr and Mrs McCann, both 39, from Rothley, Leicestershire, could be charged with “obstruction of justice” if prosecutors find evidence of a parallel investigation. The couple are already official suspects in the disappearance of their daughter from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz 145 days ago.

A high-ranking officer in the Polícia Judiciária, which is investigating the disappearance of Madeleine shortly before her fourth birthday, said that the investigators could be arrested if they are found operating in Portugal. “If they come here they will be running a serious risk of being arrested,” he said.

Carlos Anjos, President of the Judicial Police Inspector's Union, accused to Mr and Mrs McCann of using “diversion tactics”. Mr McCann had previously said that they had decided not to use private detectives.

“This is just another McCann strategy who today say one thing and tomorrow something completely contrary,” said Mr Anjos “This can only be another diversion tactic from the McCanns.”

Meanwhile, the only other official suspect in the case yesterday denied a report that he was seen outside the Ocean Club resort on the night Mrs McCann claimed that Madeleine had been abducted from her bed.

Robert Murat, 33, has insisted he was at home with his mother at their villa 100 yards from the resort where Madeleine was staying. Mr Murat later worked as an official translator for the police investigating Madeleine’s disappearance.
(snipped)
A spokeswoman for Leicestershire police, which is leading the British end of the investigation, said: “As the inquiry into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann is a Portuguese police investigation it is not appropriate for us to comment on it.

“Our role is to assist the Portuguese authorities, when and if they request it, with UK based enquiries. But because it is a Portuguese investigation, and because of the judicial system there, we are not able to disclose the nature of those enquires.”
(snipped)

[AZSunny]

 
Madeleine McCann 'photographed in Morocco'
By Caroline Gammell in Praia da Luz
Last Updated: 2:40am BST 26/09/2007



Interpol is taking seriously a photograph that claims to show missing Madeleine McCann in Morocco.

In full: The Madeleine McCann case
The image of a little blond-haired girl was taken by a Spanish couple while they were on holiday there at the end of August.

   
The picture was taken by Spanish tourists
It shows a fair haired young girl accompanied by a number of Moroccan adults.

Clara Torres, the photographer, told radio station COPE:

"On the morning of August 31 I was with my family and my partner, we were going from Chaouen to Tetuan.

"On the road, in a town called Zinat, I was taking photos of everything we saw, and we saw a group of people and took a photo.

"As soon as I took the photo we were struck by the little girl, who was very blonde.

"The truth is we said the name of the girl, but we couldn't believe it could be here, it was just impossible that it was here.

But it was only when she heard of other reported sightings in Morocco that she realised the true significance of the picture:

"I ran to the computer, downloaded the photos and started to amplify the photo and when we saw it we realised yes, it could be her.

"It sent shivers down my spine."

The photograph was handed to Spanish police who passed it on to Interpol.

A friend of the McCanns said that the family were aware of the picture but were waiting for the forensic analysis before getting their hopes up.

   
The blurred photograph has been passed to Interpol

The development is the fourth reported sighting of Madeleine in the north African country.

Kate and Gerry McCann are convinced that she was abducted and have always considered Morocco as one of the most likely places that she could have been taken.

The couple travelled to the country in June to highlight their four-year-old’s disappearance.

News of the picture came as detectives in Britain said they believed there was not enough evidence to bring charges against the little girl’s parents.
 
 

[MuffyBee]

Wouldn't it be great if the authorities can take the photograph of the little girl and work with it until perhaps the eyes can be examined to see if the one eye has Madeleine's distinctive appearance?

[AZSunny]

Muffybee, I am praying it is her in the photo.

[vms]

[vms]

Gerry and Kate: It could be her
 
By NICK PARKER
Chief Foreign Correspondent, in Lisbon
and ANTONELLA LAZZERI
September 26, 2007
 
KATE and Gerry McCann were shown the dramatic Maddie “sighting” photo last night and said: “It could be her.”

The missing girl’s desperate parents called on Interpol to press ahead with an urgent investigation into the snap, taken in Morocco.

A source close to the couple said: “This is a very promising lead. It’s certainly significant enough for it to have been brought to the immediate attention of authorities.” The source added: “Kate and Gerry can’t be sure it’s Madeleine because of the quality of the image.

“But they can’t be sure it’s not her either.”

The McCanns’ official spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: “Gerry and Kate now hope it will be thoroughly analysed and its significance properly assessed.”

The couple, of Rothley, Leics, were further buoyed by ANOTHER possible sighting in Morocco revealed yesterday.

A mother insisted she saw frightened Maddie being dragged across a road by a local-looking woman wearing a headscarf.

She said it was soon after the four-year-old vanished from her family’s holiday apartment in Portugal in May.

And she added: “I saw her face very clearly from close up and I know it was Madeleine. She looked very sad and scared and was wearing a skirt and sleeveless top with her blonde hair tied up.”

The mum told cops in the Spanish enclave in Morocco where she lives — and later called Portuguese police as she feared no action was being taken.

But she was told by the Portuguese force: “It can’t have been Madeleine because we believe she’s dead.”

The mother’s claim and the photo takes the number of sightings of Maddie in Morocco to FOUR. The sudden developments came as:

A SOURCE close to the case revealed Portuguese cops — convinced Kate and Gerry were involved in Maddie’s disappearance — gave up hope of finding her alive after just a week.

HOLIDAY pals of Kate and Gerry were rocked by a cruel slur suggesting sniffer dogs had found the “scent of death” on their clothes, and

GERRY declared he was “confident” he and Kate would soon be eliminated as suspects.

The Spanish mum, who asked not to be named, told how she and her husband were in their 4x4 in Zaio, north Morocco. She said:

We were driving slowly as there were lots of people around. Suddenly a woman wearing a headscarf walked out in the road in front of us without really looking.

She was walking very fast and dragging a young blonde girl with her. The girl was wearing a large sun hat which blew up in a gust of wind as she crossed the road.

I shouted, ‘It’s the girl from the television’ to my husband and ordered him to stop. I saw the girl perfectly but the woman turned her face away.

My husband said, ‘What’s that little blonde girl doing with a Moroccan woman?’ I shouted, ‘Stop — it’s Madeleine.’ But by the time we pulled over and ran back to where she had crossed they had both vanished.

The mum first reported the incident to police when she returned to her home in Melilla. She later phoned Portuguese cops but said: “They refused to take me seriously.”


She added: “I am totally convinced it was Madeleine and cannot believe it was not even investigated.” A British man and a Norwegian tourist have previously reported seeing Maddie in Marrakech.

And the Spanish mum said: “After we spotted Madeleine I saw a blonde woman with a man with dark hair, very light skin, aged 40 to 45 and about 1.70 metres tall. Those are the same descriptions by the people in Marrakech.”


Maddie vanished from the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz on May 3. The source close to the case said that Portuguese police suspected doctors Kate and Gerry, both 39, “from Day One”.

The source added: “They gave up trying to find Madeleine alive after a week and the focus switched to the McCanns. They have maintained privately Madeleine was killed, not abducted. And in the absence of any real evidence or suspects they turned on those closest to her.”

More dodgy “evidence” emerged yesterday as a Portuguese newspaper claimed British sniffer dogs had been taken to the homes of the McCanns’ seven holiday pals.

The paper said the dogs — trained to detect bodies and blood — had “reacted” several times. But Mr Mitchell retorted angrily: “I can categorically deny this ever happened. It’s yet another ludicrous slur.”

Despite the continued pressure from Portugal, Gerry said he was certain he and Kate would soon be cleared of any suspicion.

He wrote on his web blog: “We are confident this will happen when all the facts are presented together.”

His comments follow claims British police do not expect the couple to be charged.

However, the McCanns could face prosecution in Portugal for hiring sleuths to find Maddie. A magistrate claimed they could be obstructing justice. But a McCann source said nothing illegal had been done.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2005320001-2007440682,00.html

[Angiex911dsptchr]

  VMS and others who posted the news and piv  TY
 I dunno what I think about it...   I hope its Maddy.. but ???
I tryed to do a side by side with the pics of her.. and Vista is just SO MUCH  FUN   "NOT"
 It wont save in my photobucket.   
  I hope and pray she is still alive and being taken care of.. and FOUND!

[klaasend]

[klaasend]

Someone put together this photo overlay.  I found it at Websleuths:

[vms]

Witness: Seeing 'Madeleine' in Morocco sent shivers down my spine
by VANESSA ALLEN and SAM GREENHILL
Last updated at 10:42am on 26th September 2007


The woman who took a picture in Morocco of a small girl with striking similarities to Madeleine McCann said today: 'It sent shivers down my spine'

Interpol detectives were today scrutinising the photograph of the child, who can be seen in the clutches of a group of Moroccans.

The grainy image, taken only four weeks ago, shows a blonde youngster being carried on the back of a dark-skinned woman in traditional North African dress with companions carrying their worldly possessions along a dusty roadside near Tangiers.


Is Madeleine being carried on the back of one of a group of Moroccans?

It is the fourth reported sighting of the missing four-year-old in Morocco, the first two having come only six days after she disappeared.

Her anguished parents insisted they would not raise their hopes until forensic analysis had strengthened or ruled out suspicions that it could be her.

The existence of the picture was revealed on a Spanish radio station by the woman who took it near the northern town of Zinat, just south of Tangiers, on August 31.

Spaniard Clara Torres and her partner spotted the likeness after taking what they thought would simply be a colourful shot of Moroccan life.

They were immediately suspicious that a blonde, pale-skinned, European-looking child should be with the group of wanderers. When they heard about other sightings in Morocco they emailed it to the Spanish national police, who forwarded it to Interpol.


The quality of the photograph makes it difficult to tell whether it really is the missing four-year-old

It will be analysed by experts, possibly from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre who have used state- of-the-art facial recognition computer software to study thousands of pictures sent in by holidaymakers who were in Praia da Luz when Madeleine vanished on May 3.

Mrs Torres told the Spanish radio station COPE: "As soon as I took the photo we were struck by the little girl, who was very blonde.

"The truth is we said the name of the girl, but we couldn't believe it could be her, it was just impossible that it was her."

She added that it was not until the couple arrived back in Spain and examined the picture that they realised it could have been Madeleine.

"It sent shivers down my spine. Either it's her or she's got a twin," she said.


The picture was taken through the windscreen of a car in Morocco

She explained how the photo was taken: "I was with my family and my partner, we were going from Chaouen to Tetuan. On the road, in a town called Zinat, I was taking photos of everything we saw, and we saw a group of people and took a photo.

"As soon as I took the photo we were struck by the little girl, who was very blonde. I was on a trip in Morocco and took many pictures, just random ones. This was one of those pictures. I remember being struck by her and even mentioned the name Madeleine to my boyfriend.

"But I didn't think too much of it at the time because although it is uncommon it is not unusual to get blonde people in that part of the world. Also, I didn't think Madeleine could be in Morocco.

"It was only when I got home and saw the news on Monday about two possible sightings of Madeleine in Morocco that I remembered the picture and went through my photos. When I saw it for the second time and focused in on the child's face, I realised it could be her.

Mrs Torres said they called their local police in Albacete, near Valencia, who came and took copies.

She said she went to the British embassy yesterday and spoke to the McCann family's legal team.

She said: "The police told us they would take 10 to 15 days to get the results back from the photos so I took it to the British Embassy in Madrid yesterday to hurry things along. I felt it was too important to wait around."

The first reported sighting in Morocco was by Norwegian tourist Mari Pollard, who said she saw a girl who looked like Madeleine with a man at petrol station in Marrakesh on May 9.


Clara Torres: Took the picture of the girl who could be Madeleine four weeks ago


Even with this close up of the little girl's face it is difficult to tell if it is Madeleine

A British holidaymaker later reported seeing a youngster with a strong likeness on the same day outside the Ibis Hotel in Marrakesh, which is virtually opposite the garage.

The third sighting came around three weeks later when a Spanish woman contacted Portuguese police to say she had seen someone she thought looked like the missing girl in Zaio, in the north of Morocco.

She said she saw a "sad and scared" blonde girl being dragged across a street by a woman in a Muslim headscarf.

She told how she and her husband were driving when the Muslim woman walked out into the road in front of them, "walking very fast and dragging a young blonde girl with her".

"I saw her face very clearly from close up and I know it was Madeleine," she said. "She looked very sad and scared, and was wearinga skirt and a sleeveless top and her blonde hair tied up."

The woman, who refuses to be named, called police from her home in Melilla that night.

Detectives are said to have dismissed the sighting saying they believed she was already dead.

Kate and Gerry McCann believe Portuguese police have virtually given up the hunt to find their daughter. The couple have brought in private investigators to search for any trace of her.

But senior police and judicial figures have now warned that the McCanns and their team of ex-SAS advisers could face prosecution if they interfere.

In Portugal private detectives are banned from working on criminal investigations by obstruction of justice laws.

A Policia Judiciaria official said: "If they come here they will be running a serious risk of being arrested."

Carlos Anjos, head of the Portuguese police federation, said the investigators were part of "another McCann strategy" to divert attention away from themselves.

"This can only be another diversion tactic from the McCanns." Possible sightings have come in from all over the world in the months since Madeleine vanished, including Belgium, Malta and Australia.

The McCanns, both 39, travelled to Morocco in June to appeal for help in the hunt to find Madeleine. Mrs McCann has told friends she believes there is a strong chance her daughter could have been taken into Africa, which is easily reached from Portugal and Spain.

Mr McCann's brother John said of the latest Moroccan sighting: "We hope the Portuguese police will investigate this and that it will prove more profitable than their current line of inquiry."

Jose Herrero Arcas, the Spanish government's representative in Albacete, said: "The national police received a photograph by email taken by a young Spanish couple who believe it shows Madeleine McCann.

"The quality of the photograph is not very clear, and it was taken from around 200 metres away.

"However, the national police are taking the claim seriously enough to have sent it on to their colleagues at Interpol."

• Friends of the McCanns faced fresh allegations yesterday after it was claimed that sniffer dogs had found the 'scent of death' on one of them.

The same police dog which reacted to Mrs McCann's clothes - first causing suspicion to fall on her - was alleged to have smelled 'death' on one of the friends who had dinner with the couple the night Madeleine vanished.

Police sources briefed a Portuguese newspaper that two police dogs from South Yorkshire, trained to detect corpses, human remains and microscopic traces of blood, had reacted to some items of clothing.

Family spokesman Clarence Mitchell denied categorically that any such procedure had happened. Detectives are writing to British police asking them to re-interview the seven friends.

The newspaper did not reveal which of the friends' clothing was meant to have triggered the reaction. Police in South Yorkshire refused to comment.

Link

[vms]

Wednesday, 26 September 2007
Fourth witness says she saw Madeleine in Morocco

<snipped>

Clara Torres, a Spanish citizen, took a picture from a Moroccan family, on August 31, where a blonde girl that looks like Madeleine can be seen. The Spanish Radio Cope revealed that the picture was taken on August 31, in a road near the city of Tanger. When she heard about the two new witnesses that came forward, in the last three days, referring that they have seen Madeleine, in May, in Morocco, Clara Torres decided to send a copy of the picture to Spanish Police, who sent it immediately to Interpol.

A source from the head office of Moroccan Police told us that the “Sureté Nacional” (Moroccan Intelligence Services) has already identified the man that was helping the family carrying their bags and they found that it's a family of Moroccan immigrants that lives in Europe. Moroccan intelligence services keep on investigating the last sightings, according to the same source.

But the news about investigations by the Control Risk Group, a private security company hired in May by the McCann to do “some things that the Portuguese police can’t do”, according to The Times, which has already teams in place in Portugal, Spain and Morocco, weren't well received by Moroccan authorities: “If we have in our territory those 'private investigators', some kind of mercenaries, we will consider it a violation of our national sovereignty and it's better for those 'investigators' that we don't get them...”

Link

[pdh3]

Why would Maddie be in Morocco? Is it a place to keep her until the furor dies down, and people assume she'd dead?

Why would she be outside in broad daylight where she can be seen?