11 January 2010
Scottish Daily Record
McCanns' fury at invite
The controversial cop who led the Madeleine McCann investigation has been invited to the UK to speak about his belief that her parents were to blame for her disappearance.
Former police chief Goncalo Amaral was sacked after he criticised British police involvement in the case and was pictured having boozy lunches when he should have been working.
Next week he will appear in a Lisbon court to fight a £1million libel action brought against him by Kate and Gerry McCann after he published a book accusing the couple of killing the youngster.
But Amaral, 49, intends to speak about his views again after being invited to the annual conference of the Madeleine Foundation pressure group. Their members believe the missing three-year-old is dead and her parents bear some responsibility.
The McCanns have asked lawyers to consider action to stop Amaral speaking at the conference near Nottingham and the end of next month.
The couple already have High Court injunction banning the foundation's secretary Tony Bennett from making allegations about Madeleine's disappearance.
Sources close to the McCanns say the couple are "deeply concerned" about the group's conference and their invite to Amaral.
The meeting is due to be held on February 27 and 28 at The Liberal Club in Melbourne, Derbyshire.
Amaral was put in charge of the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance in May 2007 in Praia Da Luz, Portugal, and authorised their status as arguidos, or official suspects.
But he was removed from his post after five months, and then retired.
His 224-page book, Maddie - The Truth Of The Lie, was published in July last year.
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