OFFICIAL INQUIRY FILES and DOCUMENTS
MIGUEL GONCALVES DA COSTA PALMA

This information belongs to the Ministério Público in Portimão, Portugal.
It was released to the public on 4 August 2008 in accordance with Portuguese Law

MULTI PURPOSE MAINTENANCE OPERATOR 07 MAY 07

412 to 414 Witness statement of Carlos Miguel Goncalves da Costa Palma 2007.05.07

TRANSLATION BY INES

02-Processos Volume II Pages 412 - 414
02_VOLUME_IIa_Page_412
02_VOLUME_IIa_Page_413
02_VOLUME_IIa_Page_414
Miguel Goncalves Da Costa Palma

Date/Time: 2007/05/07 18H40
General Handyman
Portuguese

He has worked at the OC since 15/03/06 exercising his functions as general handyman, specifically, in the area of maintenance;
His functions are exercised in all types of maintenance necessary for the smooth functioning of living quarters and apartments, such as repairs of damaged materials, small repairs, etc.
Previously he worked as a Head Waiter in a pension, in Fortaleza do Beliche, situated in Cabo de Sao Vicente, Sagres, where he worked for 13 years, until the restaurant closed down. Upon finding himself unemployed, he applied for work at the Ocean Club, and at other locations. After a while, the O C contacted him to begin work as a multi-purpose handyman.
He signed a contract for a one year term, and it was renewed.
In his functions, he carries out the necessary maintenance for the entire OC resort and duties are assigned by the Head of Maintenance, Mr. Nuno Conceicao, or in his absence, his duties are written in the service notes.
In order to carry out his functions, he has access to all the living quarters and apartments of the Ocean Club resort, with the exception of the private apartments, which, although they are located within the resort, their maintenance is carried out by the apartment owners.
He begins work at 09H00, meeting with the rest of his colleagues in the maintenance garage, and at that time service notes are distributed by the maintenance supervisor, or in his absence are passed by other colleagues.
His working day begins at 09H00 until 13H00 and from 14H00 to 18H00.
The keys to the living quarters and apartments that are under the responsibility of the Ocean Club, and are kept inside a safe in the Maintenance Garage, the access code to the safe is known by all maintenance workers.
The keys are only taken from the safe when it is necessary to carry out a service, in this case a service request exists, which is registered in the name of the maintenance worker and indicates the time spent and which is given to the Director of Maintenance Services, Mrs. Silvia.
He knows about the situation that occurred at the Ocean Club, with regard to the disappearance of a child, having been informed via telephone by his supervisor at 08H00 on the 04/05/07.
After finding out what happened, he arrived at work at 09H00, and was told by the Head of Maintenance to go to the apartment blocks in the Ocean Garden in order to, together with other resort workers, hand out leaflets referring to the girl's disappearance. The leaflets he distributed did not have the girl's photograph on them. The leaflets were distributed all over the resort located in Luz, Lagos.
Afterwards, some of them went to search around the pools and grassy areas in the hope of finding the child.
That after this he went for lunch and carried out some service functions, having left for Lagos in order to collect material for the repair of a living quarter and toward the end of the afternoon went to paint room number 26 – COT Garden, finishing work at 18H00.

On the day of the girl's disappearance, 03/05/07, he arrived at work at 09H00, having carried out some service requests, but does not remember the places and refers to the fact that these details are noted on the service requests.
During the afternoon, he varnished a room door, number 26 - COT Garden;
He finished work at 18H20, and left the Ocean Club resort, heading for Burgau, in the company of a colleague, Tiago, and after that went home.
He did not see anything abnormal on 03/05/07, nor did any colleagues comment upon anything unusual. He is unaware of any detail or information regarding the disappearance of the child, nor does he have any information that could help in locating her nor does he know anyone having such information.
Nothing more said, having read the statement finds it in conformity and signs it.

Helder Carmo, an Inspector with this Policia Judiciaria

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