THE “Tapas Seven” who dined with the parents of Madeleine
McCann on the night she vanished have denied claims they
wanted to CHANGE their statements.
Lawyers acting for two of them were said to have contacted
Portuguese cops to say their clients wanted to “correct”
their original stories.
Spanish daily newspaper El Mundo
said they had asked for their names to be kept secret for
fear of “pressure” from McCann supporters.
The report came after it emerged that four of the friends
believe they may be named as suspects.
But the McCanns’ spokesman
Clarence Mitchell insisted the claim was “simply untrue”.
He said the couple’s friends had said they were happy to be
reinterviewed by police if it
resolved any apparent inconsistencies and hastened the
McCanns being cleared.
Mr Mitchell said: “I can deny any approach has been made by
their lawyers asking to amend the witness statements.
The friends believe if reinterviews
take place it can only lead to Gerry and Kate being
eliminated from the inquiry swiftly.”
One of the friends, Jane Tanner, dismissed the claims as
“rubbish”.
Detectives are probing a report that Gerry McCann sent 14
text messages during the May 3 dinner.
It is unclear who he was texting so often – or why.
A Portuguese TV documentary claimed: “Police forces in
England
and
Portugal
will definitely know who Gerry sent so many messages to.”
The seven holidaying with the McCanns’
in Praia da Luz were Jane, 37,
partner Dr Russell O’Brien, 36, Dr Matthew Oldfield, 37,
wife Rachael, 36, David Payne, 41, wife Fiona, 34, and her
mother Dianne Webster, 61.
Portuguese laws have prevented Gerry, wife Kate and the
remaining Tapas Seven from speaking publicly on facts
surrounding the case.
But several contradictions have emerged since Maddie went
missing.
One is that Jane claimed she saw Maddie’s kidnapper carrying
her away from the apartment in a blanket.
But a British TV producer Jeremy Wilkins – a holidaymaker
who was on the scene – claims to have seen neither him nor
Ms Tanner.
Meanwhile, the other suspect Robert Murat, 33, has contacted
Portuguese police asking to be
reinterviewed – a week before he could have his
status as arguido lifted.
His lawyer Francisco Pagarete
said: “He is very frustrated because he is still an arguido
more than six months after the child’s disappearance and
they have still made no concrete accusation against him.”
Suspects can apply to have their status lifted after six
months, but it can be extended for up to a year.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
