OFFICIAL INQUIRY FILES and DOCUMENTS
JOAO CARLOS SILVA BATISTA

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

MAINTENANCE 08 MAY 07

540 to 542 Witness statement of Joao Carlos Silva Batista 2007.05.08
03- Processos Vol III Pages 540-542

TRANSLATION BY INES

03_VOLUME_IIIa_Page_540
03_VOLUME_IIIa_Page_541
03_VOLUME_IIIa_Page_542
Date: 2007/05/08

Witness Statement

Joao Carlos Silva Batista


Place of work: OC


Occupation : Head of Maintenance


He has worked at the OC for about 19 years as Assistant Gardener and Head of Maintenance. His hours are from 08.00 - 13.00 and from 14.00 - 18.00, although the time he leaves depends on the kind of work he is doing.

As Head of Maintenance he carried out repairs and modifications to the apartments and rooms, mainly remodelling requested by clients, after presenting a quote as well as aesthetic and other repairs in the OC.

That for the exercise of his functions he is helped by Jaime Graca, who accompanies him and carries out the designated services.

That the services he carried out are designated by the OC director.

That to carry out his work he sometimes needs the keys to the apartments and these are always requested from maintenance or from the OC reception. Whenever a key is requested, a register is made of the request.

Most of the services he provides are large or medium scale jobs, for which the apartments and rooms need to be unoccupied. He carries out services in OC rooms and apartments as well as work for private clients.

The keys to the apartments remain in his or in his colleague's possession until the work is finished when they are returned to the place where they were given them.

When the rooms are occupied all the services are done by the maintenance team.

That he knows about the situation in the OC relating to the disappearance of the little girl, having been informed on the same day, at about 22.30 by phone by the OC administrator, who had contacted his wife, Silvia Batista.

That he immediately left for the OC where he arrived at about 23.00 and immediately began to search the resort and the beach area, searching in all the places where the child might be. The searches were carried out by employees from the Tapas and the restaurant who had just finished their shifts and by some local people. He continued searching until about 04.00 when he returned home with his wife.

Whilst he was at the resort he did not see anything unusual.

That the room from which the girl disappeared was sealed off after the arrival of the GNR, as there were some persons inside the room, whom he supposed were the girl's parents, their friends, the OC Administrator, who had called his wife, Silvia Batista, to come to the site to help with translations.

That he does not know under which circumstances the girl disappeared or who could have information leading to her return.

That on 03/05/2007 he began work at 08.30 when he arrived at the club, had a cup of coffee and checked with the gardener who was doing maintenance. That he checked all the ongoing works under his responsibility, mainly a room in block 2D in the club and then number 26 in the Ocean Garden, he drove around the resort several times, checking works under his responsibility. He went home at about 19.00.

He saw nothing strange or suspicious during the preceding days.


Reads, ratifies, signs.

TO HELP KEEP THIS SITE ON LINE PLEASE CONSIDER

Site Policy HOME PAGE Contact details