The name Gonçalo Amaral is fast becoming a household in the UK. For those who are new to the case, he was the senior Portuguese police detective on duty when GERRY and KATE McCANN reported MADELEINE missing at around 10-00pm on THURSDAY 3 MAY 2007.
I will present some facts about Gonçalo which have been hidden from the British public by the mainstream media.
In one of the most disgracegul smears of a foreigner ever perpetrated by the British mainstream media, this 57-year-old, now retired senior detective, has been portrayed as the incompetent, bungling and malicious detective who should have found missing MADELEINE McCANN - but instead wrongfully accused the McCanns of involvement in the disappearance of their daughter.
WORDS used to describe him in the BRITISH MEDIA have included: ‘DISGRACED’, ‘BOOZY’, ‘FAT’, ‘LAZY’, ‘INCOMPETENT’. He has been described as ‘SARDINE MUNCHING’. He was accused of having ‘long,liquid lunches’. He and his team were accused of being ‘Worse than the Keystone cops’. The attack on him, especially in the British tabloids, has been relentless. It was encouraged, of course, by the McCann's and their advisers, notably ex-government media adviser Clarence Mitchell, who have accused him of deliberately putting them in the frame when, they say, there was not one jot of evidence that they were in any way involved with the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
Personal history of Gonçalo Amaral
Gonçalo married in his twenties and had a son. He got divorced then married Sofia Leal with whom he has two daughters.
Here’s a summary of his life and career , with approximate dates:
1959 – Born
1980 – Obtains law degree and is ENTITLED to call himself Dr Gonçalo Amaral.
1981 – Joins Portuguese police force. Gradually rises to the position of Criminal Investigation Co-ordinator. Gonçalo is best known for bringing drug-dealers to justice - and, according to his wife, has been responsible for more discoveries of illegal drugs than any other Portuguese detective.
1983 – Marries for the first time.
1984 – First daughter, Sofia, born. She now has a law degree.
1995 – Divorced.
1998 – Meets his future wife, Sofia Leal. She already has a daughter, Rita, now aged 12.
2000 June – Marries Sofia Leal. They honeymoon in the Azores, where Mr Amaral hopes to retire.
2003 – Daughter, Inês (Agnes), born.
2004, 12 September – Mother of Joana Cipriano, from Figueira, reports that her daughter is missing, possibly abducted.
2004, October – Becomes senior detective investigating the disappearance of Joana Cipriano.
2004, October – Arrests Leonor Cipriano and João Cipriano on suspicion of murdering Joana Cipriano.
2005 – Shortly before her trial, Leonor Cipriano claims that Gonçalo Amaral and four detectives beat a confession out of her and tortured her (those claims resurface in 2007).
2005, 11 November - Leonor Cipriano and João Cipriano found GUILTY by a Lisbon court of MURDERING Joana and sentenced to jail terms of 19 years 2 months and 20 years and 4 months respectively. The Supreme Court later reduced these to sentences of 16 years apiece.
2007, 3 May – Is appointed to investigate the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
2007, September – Speaks off the record to a Portuguese journalist who reports Mr Amaral’s concerns that the BRITISH GOVERNMENT has been INTERFERING with his INVESTIGATION.
2007, 3 October – On his 48th birthday, is told by his seniors that he is being removed from the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. After this, according to his wife, “It was a bad time…Even in his sleep he was going over in his mind what had happened to him and how his career was brought to a premature end. I heard him talking in the night because of nighmares…”
2007 – The Public Prosecutor's Official in charge of the criminal investigation against the Ciprianos decides to accuse Gonçalo Amaral and the other four detectives of the beating of Leonor Cipriano, but carefully concealed the fact that in a series of identity parades, she couldn't identify any of her alleged aggressors.
2008 – RESIGNS from the Portuguese police force, forfeiting his police career and about one-third of his expected pension as a result.
2008, 10 April – A new law, the Policia Judiciaria Restructing Act, passed, after a two-year delay. It provides for the closure of several police departments.
2008, July – Publishes an account of the investigation into Madeleine McCann’s disappearance , titled: A Verdade da Mentira (‘Maddie: The truth about a lie’).
2009, 9 September – The McCanns are succesful in getting a court injunction banning his book: ‘The truth about a lie’ being sold or distributed until further order.
2010, January – Gonçalo Amaral published a new book, A Mordaca Inglesa – ‘The English Gag’, a book claiming that the BRITISH GOVERNMENT actively INTERFERED with his INVESTIGATION.
Gonçalo Amaral's rise to the position of Detective Chief Superintendent
Little is available in English about Gonçalo Amaral’s police career. But what we have learnt is that he rose through the ranks to become ‘Criminal Investigation Co-ordinator’ - equivalent rank to what in the U.K. would be ‘Detective Chief Superintendent’. In other words, a senior detective capable of heading up major murder investigations.
We also know that amongst his work, as is common with detectives in most western countries these days, were investigations into the criminal activities of several major drug dealers. These were often sucessful investigations resulting in drug dealers being charged and convicted.
Just as in the U.K., major drug dealers often have useful links with those in authority, even inside the police and the Judiciary. It was not surprising perhaps, in view of his success in prosecuting drug-dealers, that there may have been those in Portugal wishing to cut Mr Amaral down to size
Gonçalo Amaral is removed from the Madeleine McCann investigation
Gonçalo Amaral was working in Portimão , near Praia da Luz, when Madeleine McCann was reported missing on 3 May 2007.
For the British press, it seemed like a triumph when Gonçalo Amaral was removed from the investigation. He wasn’t dismissed from the police, as some newspapers reported. He was merely moved sideways, to a more administrative post and, of course, outside the investigation into Madeleine McCann’s disappearance. His removal took place on his birthday, 3 October. He has told us that his superiors first of all notified Gordon Brown, the British Prime Minister, BEFORE telling him.
Typical amongst the British reports was one by the Daily Mirror, who reported: “Kate and Gerry McCann hope that bringing in a new police chief will give the hunt for Madeleine a new impetus. A source close to them said they were ready to fly back to Portugal to meet Gonçalo Amaral's replacement if necessary. They believe that the boozy Chief Inspector, kicked off the case after criticising them and British police, has hindered the hunt for their four-year-old daughter. The source added: “We do hope that the change will re-energise and refocus the hunt for Madeleine”.
The Mirror added these details: “Amaral's replacement is expected to be appointed next week. He will be handpicked by Alipio Ribeiro, national director of the Judicial Police, and other senior officers. It emerged last night that Amaral, 48, was sacked by Mr Ribeiro in a fax to his office. The curt message said: ‘Transferred to Faro for the efficiency and convenience of the service’. Justice minister Alberto Costa last night backed Amaral's removal. He said: ‘It is a decision of the PJ national director of which I approve’.
The banning of book: Gonçalo Amaral's ‘The Truth about a Lie’
Gonçalo Amaral's book ‘The Truth about a Lie’ was published in July 2008. Nearly a year later, the McCann's lawyers filed a libel suit in the Lisbon court claiming that his book had damaged the search for Madeleine and had caused them immense emotional distress. They demanded 1.2 million euros compensation from him.
On 9 September [9/9/9], there was an interlocutory (interim) application by the McCann's to have Gonçalo Amaral's book banned. It succeeded. This is how Ana Paula Azevedo of ‘So’l newspaper reported the decision:
“The 13th Section of the Civil Courtof Lisbon has today granted an injunction requested by the McCann's. The injunction prohibits the sale of the book by Gonçalo Amaral , the former Polícia Judiciária inspector who promotes the thesis that the parents were responsible over the DISAPPEARANCE and DEATH of the child.
“His book, ‘Maddie –The Truth about a Lie’ - cannot be sold as from today, and all copies that are in shops or in storage must be collected.
“The court has further decided to uphold the McCann couple’s further demand to prohibit the further distribution of a documentary based on the same book, which was broadcast earlier this year by TVI [Portuguese TV station].
“The court demands that Valentim de Carvalho and Guerra e Paz [Goncalo Amaral’s publishers] collect all of the books that are still on sale in bookshops, and further forbids Gonçalo Amaral and the publishers to sell the book or promote the video in any other country.
“The decision also bans other publishers and the media from publishing this or other books or videos that promote Gonçalo Amaral's thesis. Finally, the Court forbade Gonçalo Amaral from making any statements about the contents of the book or the documentary. The court also decided on a punishments of 1000 euros per day for each day that goes by without the ruling being complied with. This is a provisional ruling and it will have to be confirmed at the full trial”.
Goncalo Amaral won the damages case McCanns v Amaral - Decision: Judgement of Lisbon Court of Appeal on request 1454/09 - 19/04/2016 and had the court ruling overturned. His book is back on sale in Portugal, available to read here, The Truth of the Lie documentary can be watched here.
Goncalo Amaral removed from the investigation
It was just 22 days after the McCann's returned to England (despite repeatedly saying they wouldn’t leave until their daughter had been found) that Gonçalo Amaral was removed from the investigation by the head of the Portuguese police. He received a fax saying he was being returned to other duties ‘for the efficiency of the service’. Two hours before he was removed from office, Gordon Brown, British Prime Minister, was informed of this, thus arousing further suspicion that Mr Amaral’s removal was POLITICAL. A few days before his removal, Mr Amaral had made reference in off-the-record remarks to a journalist that there had been active interference in his investigation by the British government!
In the history of all missing children cases never has there been POLITICAL INTERFERENCE on such a MASSIVE scale. NEVER in the history of all missing children cases have there been such SUBSTANTIAL GOVERNMENT FUNDING to look for a child that has been PRESUMED dead by Gonçalo Amaral and Andy Redwood.
NEVER in the history of all missing children cases has there been A LIMITED COMPANY set up DAYS after a CHILD ‘DISAPPEARS’ to help pay for a families MORTGAGE and ONGOING LEGAL FEES.
NEVER in the history of all missing children cases have the family created a WEBSITE SHOP selling MERCHANDISE DECEIVING the general public into thinking that their HARD EARNED POCKET MONEY/ PENSIONS/WAGES are to be USED however they wish. The public have been duped from day 1. The McCann's have all but ruined Gonçalo Amaral's life, others have lost their lives and others have had their livelihoods ruined beyond repair.
A retired detective with nearly 30 YEARS experience who was dangerously close to solving the case. Has been publically vilified by the McCann's, British Mainstream Media and the British government. The pride of a nation, country and innocent lives annihilated by the parents of a missing child whose death has to be covered up at whatever cost.
