There have been several theories floating around cyber space as to exactly why Gerry McCann arrived in Portugal in his best suit last Tuesday accompanied by his lawyer – one of the more interesting suggestions was that he was making a court appearance, generally one of the prime reasons for a dedicated shorts and T-shirt man to suddenly smarten up.

Portugal has a civil law system, so going before a magistrate does not necessarily mean that you are the accused, you may have been summoned to appear before an examining magistrate as a witness – roughly the equivalent of the UK Criminal Prosecution Service. This in turn means that you could be a witness to someone else’s crime, and thus the suggestion that Gerry McCann was appearing in front of a magistrate does not imply that he himself may have committed any crime.

So, Gerry suited, but who was booted? Metodo3′s appears not to have had their contract renewed, but from Portugal we hear two conflicting pieces of information.

[Metodo3] Detectives hunting for Madeleine McCann have exposed a child pornography network operating in Spain.
Thirteen people have been arrested in a police operation sparked by the search for the missing youngster.

The team, lead by agency director Francisco Marco, tracked down the images but discovered Madeleine did not appear among them.
They reported their findings to the Spanish National Police who launched an operation to hunt down the paedophiles distributing the videos.

So far, so commendable, but what else do we have on the news wires?

[Metodo3] Private investigators hired by the McCann couple are subject to an investigation by the Faro PJ on suspicion of extortion and attempted murder. The case occurred a few months ago and concerned a former prisoner who was paid by Metodo 3 to provide information.
After receiving the money, the information was not provided and the individual concerned alleges that he was harassed by Metodo3, and he eventually laid a formal complaint to the PJ in Faro of attempted murder.

Was Gerry McCann in Faro to visit the Examining Magistrate investigating Metodo3′s activities? As their putative employer, although reports suggest that it is actually Brian Kennedy’s firm which technically employ them, it would make perfect sense for an examining magistrate to enquire of Mr McCann as to the exact terms of reference under which they were employed, and precisely what they were asked to do.

The sudden appearance of various news articles publicising the ‘good work’ done by Metodo3 at a time when they are possibly being investigated for serious offences would be entirely in keeping with the modus operandi of the McCann saga.

Somewhere under this avalanche of spin, claim and counter claim, lies the truth regarding a small defenceless child who has not been seen since May 2007.

Ch January 20, 2009 at 00:12

On and off myself too, Coco. Yes, lurking at 3A’s if I find a moment.
Always too much going on there at the same time, yet interesting food for
thought to be found here and there. I love Anna’s site though and try and be
here 2 -3 times a day, be it brief.
I will be watching the inauguration
from 6 pm continental time on tomorrow. Whereabouts did you say I could spot
you?
About my doggies: I got myself crunched between 2 kitchen tables and 2
of the doggies over the weekend and broke a rib. They’re awfully sorry. And I
will live

Coco
January 19, 2009 at 23:37

Chatelaine! Hope you and your doggies are doing well. I am sorry to have
kept missing you! I am in and out and on and off for a while yet. Have you
been on the 3As this week? Mmmmmmm!

Coco
January 19, 2009 at 23:35

There’s something not right about this little trip. Apparently Gerry looked
winded and pinched when he arrived in Portugal.

We have to hand it to the PJ don’t we! They may have methods that are alien
and peculiar to us in the UK – but they squirrel away at things. Not like the
UK Met. who prefer to sweep things under the rug until they are forced to roll
back the rug and clean all the muck up at once!

Ch January 19, 2009 at 23:16

And from where his enthusiasm of being back soon, regularly, once a month
…?

Saul January 19, 2009 at 18:10

Maybe it was a Benilyn Day.

Coco January 19, 2009 at 17:26

This must have been such a bloody nuisance! How did he find the time to nip
over to Portugal. Was he given fair advance warning? I wonder what the real
reason is for this very busy doctor-type person to have to have days off work
to mess about like this?