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The investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann is being stalled by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, it was claimed last night. Police chiefs in Portugal are said to be frustrated at Home Office delays over a formal request to question Kate and Gerry McCann. Detectives insist they sent a dossier of questions to Britain three weeks ago as they began final preparations to put the couple on trial in Portugal.

The claim led to an angry exchange between officials in the two countries last night after the Home Office insisted it had still not received the file. The denial raised fears that the dossier has been lost in Whitehall red tape. The file was requested in a process known as Mutual Legal Assistance, designed to allow co-operation between countries liaising over crime investigations.

Portuguese police want to ask the McCanns and their seven ­holiday friends about alleged inconsistencies in their statements concerning the night Madeleine disappeared in the Algarve on May 3 last year. They expected the request – which needs the Home Secretary’s approval – to be processed within 48 hours before being passed on to Leicestershire Police.

A Portuguese police source said: “It is very strange that we have heard nothing. There seems to be no sense of urgency. We cannot proceed until these interrogations have been carried out.” But a Home Office spokesman hit back, saying: “We have not received a formal request concerning the investigation. It is not appropriate to comment further.”

The McCanns, who deny being involved in the disappearance of their four-year-old daughter, also want the matter settled quickly to clear their names and are eager to co-operate with police. Daily Express

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While senior officials of the Judiciary Police stated to be disappointed to the CM regarding the "silence" of the English authorities along the whole month, the British services of justice undid yesterday the mystery: they did not receive “any requests for cooperation so that questionings are done” to friends of the McCanns. As well it was missing the contact to the General Prosecution Service – that confirmed the unthinkable for the PJ. The rogatory letters did not follow.
In the beginning of the year they had already assured to the CM that the rogatory letters were finally in England. The document is covered of “special importance” in the investigation because it contains dozens of questions to do to the eight potential witnesses of the night of the crime – on the 3rd of May.

The Judiciary took months in the preparation of the letters. Opening the discussion of all the questions to the British authorities - since a complex translation into English of some terms was needed. And still they counted with “a support from the Eurojust in the preparation of those letters”, a Portuguese representative in the body of the European Union for judicial cooperation assured to the CM.

However, the Deputy Attorney general assistant, Lopes da Mota, confirmed that the support of Eurojust "already ended some time ago. And the sending of letters is made through the "official communication between the PGR and the Home Office" - the services of British justice. >>> Bron