By Ethan Singh
PORTUGUESE detectives confirmed last night they had made Christian B an official suspect over Madeleine McCann’s disappearance.
The 43-year-old was told he was now an ‘arguido’ in Portugal in his German prison cell yesterday morning according to an insider.
An “arguido” – normally translated as “named suspect” or “formal suspect” – is someone who is treated by Portuguese police as more than a witness but has not been arrested or charged.
Detectives invoke arguido status on someone as a preliminary to an arrest being made or charges brought, but that does not mean arrests or charges automatically follow.
A written statement issued by the Portimao section of the Faro Department of Criminal Investigation and Prosecution (DIAP) said: “As part of the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in 2007, a person was made an arguido on Wednesday.
“The person was made an arguido by the German authorities in execution of a request for international judicial cooperation issued by the Public Ministry of Portugal.
“The investigation is led by the Portimao section of the DIAP in Faro with the assistance of the Policia Judiciaria police.
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“The investigation has been carried out with the cooperation of the English and German authorities.”
A well-placed source said the decision was linked to Portugal’s statute of limitations which means the perpetrators of crimes punishable by a maximum prison sentence of more than 10 years cannot generally be prosecuted there once 15 years has passed.
Madeleine vanished aged three from her family apartment in Praia da Luz on May 3 2007.
And the news comes after Portuguese police said they would continue to investigate Maddie’s disappearance as the Met Police ended its probe.
The source said: “The legal grounds for making Christian B an arguido include the fact that he allegedly confessed to a friend he had snatched Madeleine and mobile phone records placed him in Praia da Luz the night she vanished.
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“But it is obviously linked to the fact that the Portuguese authorities want to keep their options open with the 15-year deadline looming.”
Christian B stayed silent after being informed of his new status and declined to be questioned as part of the criminal procedure.
It is not yet clear who informed him but it happened after a formal international letter of request issued by Portuguese authorities to their German counterparts.
The Portuguese move paves the way for him to be flown from Germany to the Algarve for formal questioning but there are not thought to be any immediate plans to try to quiz him in Portugal.
A spokesman for Portugal’s Attorney General’s Office, asked about the future of the probe led by a prosecutor based in the Algarve resort of Portimao, said: “The investigation is proceeding, with the inquiry not having a final conclusion yet.”
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Portuguese police sources said closing their long-running ‘cold case’ review was “completely out of the question.”
Madeleine McCann’s family’s lawyer Rogerio Alves warned in July 2020 Portugal’s 15-year limit on prosecutions meant there was less than two years left to take action against Christian B, who German authorities were treating as their chief suspect.
Source: Portuguese detectives make Christian B official suspect over disappearance of Madeleine McCann
Category: News, World News
