Processos Vol XII

Pages 3885

Witness Statement

Date: 17-10-2007

Nelson Filipe Pacheco da Costa


He comes to the process as a witness, as an officer from the Lagos GNR, he has worked for the Guarda for 13 years.

He confirms the integrity of his previous statements.

Regarding the facts on 3rd May, when he was on patrol with his colleague Roque in the Odiaxere zone, they received a radio communication from the central, telling them to go to P da L, specifically to the OC resort reception where the father of a little girl who had gone missing was. When they were on their way to this place and in the Valverde area, they received a new communication, informing them that this was a very young child and that her father had called again. They continued on their way, now with urgency, heading for the main reception of the resort.

When they arrived they saw the girl’s father, a friend whom the witness describes as tall and blond, an OC employee and a translator who was also an OC employee, named Silvia Baptista.

After hearing about the circumstances of the disappearance (from the father with the help of translation) he does not remember whether the word abduction was mentioned, and he went in his police car, to the apartment, accompanied by the father, the friend and the translator. When he arrived at the apartment he saw that the wooden door, now referred to as the main door, was closed and he thinks someone who he cannot identify opened it. When he entered, there were other individual apart from the mother, he does not know how many but there was at least another couple present.

Then, with his colleague, he searched the apartment. He opened all the cupboards of the bedrooms, living room and kitchen and he checked under the beds and in the fridge. He did not see the washing machine. He did not see anything strange during the search and there was no sign of a break in. As regards the bed clothes of the child’s bed, he found it to have a normal disposition.

He found it notable that when they were still at the main reception, the father kneeled down, laying his head on the ground and crying, at the same time as making an expression which the witness did not understand.

After the search of the interior, his colleague went to check the area around the apartments and the Tapas Bar, while the witness remained next the apartment, just outside it. At that moment a female individual, he does not know whether she was a member of the group of friends, who was in the neighbouring apartment, said that she saw an individual carrying a child, running, and that because of the pyjamas she was wearing it could have been Madeleine. It was in these circumstances that abduction began to be talked about. He made a report about this situation and sent it to the police.

This sighting did not seem to him to be very credible, because when he asked her about the physical characteristics of the individual, she said it was very dark, however she saw the pyjamas clearly.

When asked, he said that at that time he also saw a lot of local people, who were searching for the missing girl.

Whilst he was outside he talked to the witness mentioned previously and to some residents who had not seen anything. He exchanged some words with the mother, who was crying and only asked for more police officers.

When questioned about the bedroom windows, he only remembers that blinds of the window of the girl’s bedroom were not totally closed. He does not remember about the existence of curtains or whether the window itself was closed.

He says that in the apartment there were two beds and two cots placed in Madeleine’s room, he does not remember their position. The children never woke up, he is sure, not knowing what position they were in, however he found this situation to be very strange, as a lot of noise was made.

As regards the parents, he says they were nervous and anxious, emotional. He adds that upon observing the scene it did not appear to him to be an abduction, but rather a normal disappearance where the child had left by her own means.

As regards the living room sofa, next to a curtain, he cannot be sure whether the sofa was against the wall.

He also refers to a situation at about 02 or 03.00, that the parents asked for a priest and his colleague had tried to contact one on his mobile, but did not manage to find one.

He also emphasises the situation that someone, who he cannot identify, having contacted Sky News and the Embassy that night. He does not know if were the parents.

He also notes that he saw various photographs on normal A4 paper of the girl, which had been printed at the reception, as well as other photos on photographic paper, poster type 10x15, that could not have been printed at the reception. This seemed unusual to him and he later confirmed that it was not possible for them to have been printed at the reception.

He has nothing else to add.

Reads, ratifies, signs.

Processos, Vol 12

Pages 3281 - 3284

Witness Statement

Date: 17 – 10 - 2007


José Maria Batista Roque


He comes to the process as a witness. He is an officer with the Lagos GNR and has worked for the Guarda for 21 years.

He confirms the integrity of his previous statements.

As regards the facts on the night of 3rd May, when he was on patrol with his colleague Costa in Odiaxere, he received a radio communication from the central telling him to go to P da L, specifically to the reception of OC resort where the father of a girl who had disappeared was. When they were on their way to this place and had reached the zone of Valverde he received another communication saying that this was a very young girl and that her father had called again. They continued on their way, now with urgency, heading for the main reception of the resort.

When they arrived, they saw the girl’s father, a friend whom he cannot describe, an OC employee and a translator who was also an OC employee, named Silvia Batista.

After hearing about the circumstances of the disappearance (from the father with the help of translation) at a determined moment he thinks it was the father who told the translator that it was an abduction, at least this is how it was translated. He then went to the apartment, accompanied by his colleague, the father and friend as well as the translator. When he arrived at the apartment he saw the mother there, who opened the wooden door, now referred to as the main door. When he entered, apart from the mother, there were three individuals, one female and two male, whom he cannot identify.

Then, while his colleague remained in the hall, and the others were in the living room, the witness went through the entire apartment. He opened all the cupboards in the bedrooms, living room and kitchen and checked under the beds and inside the washing machine. He did not see the fridge.


During the search he did not find anything strange apart from the bedclothes on Madeleine’s bed, which were too tidy, it appeared that she had been picked up from or had left the bed with great care. There was a mark on the sheet that appeared to be made by a child’s body.

After the search, he noticed a situation that seemed unusual to him, when at a determined moment, the girl’s parents kneeled down on the floor of their bedroom and placed their heads on the bed, crying. He did not notice any comments or expression from them, just crying. He says that at the main reception the father also knelt down, placing his head on the floor and crying. He did not hear the father say anything.

He never heard the parents ask to see a priest.

After the search he told his colleague to wait by the door while he went to the area around the apartments and the Tapas Restaurant. Whilst he was doing this he noticed the presence of many local people who were searching for the girl.

Meanwhile the post commander arrived at the scene and he joined him in a vehicle and travelled around the whole resort. At about 02.30 after having been replaced by two colleagues, he left the scene as the police had already arrived.

When questioned about the windows in the bedroom, he only remembers that the window in the girl’s bedroom was closed with the blind raised up the space of the width of a hand. He does not remember the existence of curtains. The father indicated, through the translator, alleging that when the disappearance was discovered, the windows and blinds were open.

He says there were two children in cots placed in Madeleine’s room in a transversal position to the beds. The children never woke up, were in a ventral position, they did not even move during or after the search.


He found the parents to be nervous and anxious, he did not see any tears from either of them although they produced noises identical to crying. He did not feel that this was an abduction, although this was the line indicated by the father.


As regards the sofa next to the window, he thinks, but is not sure, that it was against the wall.

He also refers to a situation when he was searching outside, near the pool, that someone from the OC whom he cannot identify, passed him a mobile phone, as a British Consulate employee who spoke in Portuguese, wanted to talk to the authorities. Upon speaking to him, he told him that the investigation and subsequent actions were under the responsibility of the PJ.

He has nothing to add.


Reads, ratifies, signs.

Processos Vol V

Pages 1342 – 1343

Witness Statement


Date: 2007/05/16

Rui Sergio Lópes Silva

Occupation: GNR Officer


He has been a GNR officer since 2004. He is a soldier and currently works at the Lagos post.

On 3rd May it was his day off, however he was drinking coffee at the Lagos GNR bar. He does not know exactly what time this was but he was when he was in the bar with other colleagues that he heard about the events.

Together with his colleague, Santos, he immediately offered to do all that was necessary to help.

After having helped his previously mentioned colleague prepare a message to distribute the news, he left for the OC in his own car. He arrived with his colleague Santos between 00.00 and 00.01 and presented himself to the GNR post commander, Duarte.

He was immediately sent to one of the search zones, initially accompanied by the post commander.

He never entered the McCann apartment the girl disappeared from.

He only had direct contact with the couple and their friends at about 04.00 when Gerry McCann approached the GNR group of which he was a member to ask whether there was a church close by. He replied to him in English, giving the directions to a nearby church.

During the searches that he carried out on the scene until 05.00, he saw many people searching and he especially remembers two large groups of 10 – 15 people. One close to the beach and the other near to the McCann apartment block in Rua Agostinho da Silva.

He never spoke to any unknown person not was he approached by any unknown individual.

When asked about Robert Murat, he said that he did not see him on that night nor on other days when he went to the scene.

Reads, ratifies, signs.

Processos Vol V

Pages 1344 – 1345

Witness Statement


Date: 2007/05/16


Paolo Jorge Carvaihosa da Costa


Occupation: GNR Officer


He has been a GNR officer since 1996. He is a soldier and works at the Lagos GNR post.

On 3rd May when he was at home, he was contacted by the GNR post commander who asked him to go to P da L.

He arrived at the OC at 00.05 on 4th May having contacted his colleague Nelson Costa who informed him about the situation.

After having been informed ha began to search the perimeter of the tourist complex. First he revised the perimeter alone and was later accompanied by Officer Pimentel. During his time on the scene he did not talk to anyone.

Neither did he enter the apartment from which Madeleine had disappeared. There many people at the scene but nobody particularly drew his attention.

When asked he said that he never saw Robert Murat in all the times he visited the scene.

He does remember however, that on a day he cannot recall, an individual who identified himself as Robert, saying that he was in P da L as a translator helping the PJ, phoned the Lagos post saying:

That some foreign women, who had already been interviewed by the police, had phoned him, telling him that there was a child crying in an apartment near to them.

No more is said. Reads, ratifies, signs.

Processos Vol V

Pages 1315 – 1317

Witness Statement


Date: 2007/05/16


Antonio Henrique da Duarte Conceição

Occupation: GNR Officer

He has been a GNR office since 1982. He holds the post of sergeant and is currently the Commander of the Lagos GNR Post.

At about 23.10/23.17 he heard from a telephone call from the Patrol Commander, Officer Roque, that there had been a disappearance at the OC resort, P da L.

Roque was on duty that day with Officer Nelson Costa.

He was told that (Roque) had already gone to main reception of the complex in Rua Direita and had met the father of the little girl who had appeared in the reception with a friend. Together with employee Silvia (service manager of the OC and who also acted as translator, the father (Gerald McCann) and the friend they went inside the apartment from which Madeleine McCann had disappeared. After Roque checked that the child was not in the apartment, he gathered information from the mother and father. He was told by the patrol, that the father had put forward a theory saying that it could have been an abduction. He was also told that there was a shutter that had been “raised”.

The witness, from the description and supposed seriousness of the facts related, ordered the immediate preservation of the scene, and said he would go to the site and communicate the facts to the PJ (this was done from the Post, he does not remember which officer did this but thinks it was Officer Patricio).

He arrived alone, in his own car at about 23.50 and went to the apartment (to the entrance hall) by means of the front door (opposite the parking area) where he found the girl’s parents, a couple and Silvia. He was told that the twins were still sleeping in the bedroom. On the patio next to the front door, was an English woman who had spoken to the patrol, and had referred to having see someone pass in the street, in a dark area, who was carrying a child. As the information had already been gathered and given his limited knowledge of English, he did not manage to talk to the woman.

At the scene, he talked directly to the patrol and to Silvia who informed him about what had been said. His hope was that the child had left the apartment alone and got lost or that someone had seen her and stayed with her temporarily.

He gave orders to the post so that they would send more officers to the scene, amongst them he remembers Officers Pimentel, Costa, Silva, Santos, Casimiro and Neto. He ordered one officer from the patrol to stay on the scene – Officer Costa. He then contacted the interim commander in Portimao, Lieutenant Bengala. He then went with Roque to several establishments that were still open and also patrolled the zone, in his car and on foot.

He had contact with several people, individually and as groups, obtaining information about the search results. He cannot say whom these people were.

Between 05.30 and 06.00 he went home, returning at 08.00.

He say he does not know Murat, and does not have the notion of having seen him before Friday 4th May at the mobile post installed at Rua Agostinho da Silva.

The first he knew about the existence of Murat was of an active individual who offered his help to translate some information/contacts with people who arrived at the mobile post, also offering to make a bridge with the OC.


He remembers that on a certain day, which he cannot specify, a journalist whom he cannot identify, informed him that amongst the Portuguese and foreign journalists at the scene, suspicion was “running” about Robert Murat. Together with Officer Sequeira he informed the PJ to transmit this information.

On the following day, in the morning, he remembers that Robert Murat arrived at the mobile post saying that he noticed the journalists’s suspicion about him and gave his mobile number and told him that he was going to discuss this with the PJ and that he was going to have “dinner”.

No more was said. Reads, ratifies and signs.

Processos Vol V


Pages 1350 – 1351

Witness Statement


Date: 2007/05/16

Joao Vasco da Silva Casimiro


Occupation: GNR Officer



Ha has been a GNR officer since 1991.


He is a soldier and works at the Lagos GNR post.

On 4th May 2007 he entered into the service of the events occurred at 01.00, having received orders from the commander to go to P da L. He arrived at the OC complex at 01.10 and went to join Commander Duarte, who updated him on the situation and sent him to Rua da Ramalhete.

On the scene where he had been sent by the Commander, he began to revise the perimeter of the resort, in a police car accompanied by his colleague, Officer Neto.

During his time at the scene he did not have any contact with anyone. Neither did he enter the apartment Madeleine disappeared from.

There many people searching at the scene, nobody in particular drew his attention.

When questioned, he says that he never saw Murat on the occasions he was on the scene.

No more is said. Reads, ratifies, signs.

Processos Vol V


Pages 1333 – 1334

Witness Statement

Armando Augusto Morais

Occupation: GNR Officer


He has been a GNR officer since 1982. He currently works in the Portimao Territorial Group, working within the forensics service.

On 4th May he was called at about 01.15, he arrived at the OC at about 1.55, accompanied by the officer Laçao.

They presented themselves to Sergeant Duarte from the GNR Lagos post and were informed by him of the disappearance of a small girl from the resort. There were other GNR officers present at the scene, but he does not remember their names. There were also PJ officers present.

After having established exactly where the girl had disappeared from, he was given a piece of her clothing by one of his colleagues, whose name he does not remember.

From the door of the apartment, accompanied by his dog, he walked around the entire perimeter of the resort and revised the interior of several of the apartments.

As he did not obtain any results in the area close to the resort, he extended the perimeter of the search to a distance of 1 km.

He does not remember having seen plain clothed officers at the scene.

He remembers having seen the McCann couple once, near to the door of the apartment. He did not have any dialogue with them as he does not speak English.

He says that he did not have any dialogue with anyone, limiting himself to exercising his functions, accompanied by his dog, with whom he searched.

He says that he never entered the apartment which Madeleine disappeared from, he was only in the access corridor to the apartment.

When asked, he said that he only saw Robert Murat on the second day of the searches, during the morning of 05-05-2007, near to a GNR vehicle, parked at the site.

He never spoke to Murat. He does not remember having seen Murat in the early morning of 4th May.

No more is said. Reads, ratifies, signs.

Processos Vol V


Pages 1340 – 1341

Witness Statement


Nelson Filipe Pacheco da Costa

Date: 2007-05-16

Occupation: GNR Officer


This is his second statement, in the first he gave a detailed description of police intervention at the site of the events.

He has been a GNR officer since 1994. He is a soldier, currently employed at the Lagos GNR post.


On the 3rd May he arrived at the resort in P da L at about 23.00, accompanied by officer Roque.

They went to the OC reception.

At that moment Madeleine’s father arrived at the reception and informed them of the events.

After having found out what happened, he went to the exact place Madeleine had disappeared from, accompanied by Roque, the girl’s father and a woman who was acting as interpreter, whose name he does not remember and another individual, a friend of the girl’s father, whose name he does not recall.

When asked, he says he never saw Robert Murat during any of the time he was on the scene.

No more is said. Reads, ratifies, signs.

Processos Vol V


Pages 1335 – 1337

Witness Statement

Date: 2007-05-16

Carlos Manuel Carvalho Lacao

Occupation: GNR Officer


He has been a GNR officer since 1988. He holds the post of soldier and currently works in the Portimao Territorial Group, working within the forensics service.

On 4th May he was called at about 01.15 when he was asleep at home, requesting him to appear at the Lagos GNR post as a small girl had disappeared. After arriving at the GNR post with his colleagues Morais and two dogs (Numi and Kit), German Shepherd dogs, which made up the search team, they immediately left for P da L. They arrived at about 02.30.

When they arrived at the scene, they entered the McCann’s apartment by the front door, and entered the living room, where there were some PJ officers as well as the MCCann couple. The just talked to some colleagues from the PJ and asked for a piece of clothing that Madeleine had worn or used recently. They were given a pink/orange blanket that the child had been covered with in her bed.

They began searching with the dogs from the main entrance to the apartment, having given the blanket to his dog Numi to smell and begin to search.

The route initially taken was from the front entrance door to the passageway between Blocks 4 and 5, along the corridor and then along the passage that leads past the entrance to the small reception to the resort’s swimming pool. After that the whole of the area surrounding the resort was searched.

With regard to the indications transmitted by his dog Numi, he says that at the beginning he was only “a little interested”, he let the dog "get on with it" .

They finished the searches at about 07.00 AM.

His dog’s speciality is patrolling (Maintenance of Public Order) although the dog also has some training in “tracking”.

When they entered the apartment they did not speak to anyone, not wanting to get in the way of other GNR officers present. During the searches they only spoke to the sergeant, from the Lagos GNR post, with a GNR officer and with a security guard who was present, he does not remember what company he was from. The conversation was about whether they had found anything.

He remembers that during a brief rest period at about 04.00, Madeleine’s mother asked whether there was any news and whether the roads had been blocked off.

There were some unknown people helping in the searches, especially when they arrived at the resort. Their number decreased as it got later. Between 04.00 and 07.00 basically the only people searching were the witness, his colleague and another GNR officer.

During this night as well as the following night, when he repeated the searches from 23.00 to 08.00 he did not see anyone suspicious.

He did not see Robert Murat on either of the nights. He did not search inside the apartment, just the verandas and surrounding areas.


No more is said. Reads, ratifies, signs.

Processos Vol V


Pages 1346 – 1347

Witness Statement


José Carlos Leal Pimental


Date: 2007 – 05 – 16

Occupation: GNR Officer


He has been a GNR officer since 1992 and is currently stationed at the Lagos GNR post.

At about 00.00 on 4th May, he received a telephone call at his home from Officer Costa, informing him that a child had disappeared from P da L. he was also informed that the post commander had previously tried to contact him, which had been impossible as he had left his home, forgetting to take his mobile phone with him.

He immediately left for P da L in his own car and met his post commander, Sergeant Duarte who accompanied him to the site of the events in the resort in P da L. Officer Costa was on site. The witness arrived at 00.10 - 00.15.

According to orders from his superior he teamed up with Officer Costa to carry out external searches of the resort in case the girl had left the apartment and got lost nearby.

At about 04.00 AM they searched the streets, gardens, caravans, lorries, etc. As well as questioning lorry drivers in the parking area next to the “Luz Tur” building, they stopped a caravan with two English individuals, who said they lived in the Espiche area. The caravan was duly searched.

When carrying out the search of the resort area they also saw several local people helping to search. He remembers a woman named Silvia who worked at the resort.

He left for home at about 04.20.

As regards the McCann’s apartment that the girl disappeared from he was in the corridor next to the entrance when the forensic team arrived from Portimao. He never had any contact with the McCann family or friends.


When asked about Robert Murat, he says that he does not remember having seen him at dawn, having seen him during the day on 4th May in the afternoon at about 17.00- 18.00. He saw Murat pass by close to the mobile post accompanied by Officer Costa. At this time he was searching, he (RM) appeared with roll of electrical cable, that he was going to give to the mobile GNR post in the Rua Agostinho da Silva.

The witness saw him that night at about 22.30 in the Tapas restaurant. He was sitting at a table with some OC employees, including, as he recalls, Silvia responsible for maintenance at the resort.

No more is said. Reads, ratifies, signs.