Posted on 03/20/2002 7:52:49 AM PST by Nita Nupress
Ted Maher -- former Special Forces; Neonatal Intensive Care nurse
American Green Beret veteran and accomplished neonatal nurse Ted Maher has now been held 537 days without trial in Monaco's prison on trumped-up and false charges -- charges of causing the deaths of billionaire banker Edmond Safra and Ted's fellow nurse, Vivian Torrente on December 3, 1999. In truth, Ted fought valiantly against two armed, masked intruders to defend Edmond and Vivian and save their lives. During the struggle, Ted suffered severe knife wounds that required one hundred staples to close.
Billionaire banker Edmond Safra was cooperating with the FBI, who was investigating the IMF/Russian loans. Needing a convenient scapegoat for the murder of Safra, Monaco police subjected Ted to three days of grueling torture designed to extort a false confession from him. (see description in "BASIC TIMELINE" in Thread 1 - http://206.112.97.70/forum/a3ad8b097272d.htm ).
Monaco continues to hold Ted incommunicado, preventing him from sending or receiving mail. In fact, they restrict his communication with his family to one telephone call a week. This call is only allowed to last a few minutes and is always monitored closely to prevent any discussion of the case. Ted is forced by his jailers to take a psychotropic medication and is regularly "interrogated" by the Monaco judge -- Patricia Richet. Reports have been received that Judge Richet is a violent person who has displayed unstable behavior in the past. She allegedly has a history of assaulting a fellow judge, putting him in the hospital for a week. She also tears up letters from Ted's children in front of Ted rather than let him read them.
Hundreds of family, friends, work associates, parents of patients, and Army veterans who served with Ted have vouched for him as being a loyal husband, loving father, and an exemplary professional of great skill and compassion. Ted has also been defended by then-chairman of the House International Relations Committee Ben Gilman and Ted's congresswoman Sue Kelly, who have written Prince Rainier III of Monaco on Ted's behalf. Monaco has no evidence of any crime by Ted; they have no witnesses and no credible case against him. Even worse, Monaco has planted false evidence and suppressed vast amounts of exculpatory evidence -- even passing a special Monaco law that enables them to hold Ted four years without trial.
The Geneva prosecutor has said that Safra was killed for his cooperation with the FBI regarding the laundering through Safra's Republic National Bank of $4.8 billion in IMF loans to Russia.
Regardless of the reason "why," it is obvious that Ted Maher is a scapegoat for a murder by others. We are working to obtain his release and to correct the grave injustice being done to an American Green beret veteran and medical professional.
Ted Maher -- a giver of life, not a taker -- needs our help.
============================================
To read the "BASIC TIMELINE" that describes the events surrounding the night of December 3, 1999, click here:
American Green Beret Veteran TED MAHER Held Hostage by Monaco for 498 Days and Counting... (Thread I)
To read the "BASIC TIMELINE
American Green Beret Veteran TED MAHER Held Hostage by Monaco for 537 Days and Counting... (Thread II)
American Green Beret Veteran TED MAHER Held Hostage by Monaco for 544 Days and Counting... (Thread III)
American Green Beret Veteran TED MAHER Held Hostage by Monaco for 544 Days and Counting... (Thread IV)
American Green Beret Veteran TED MAHER Held Hostage by Monaco for 615 Days and Counting... (second Thread IV)
American Green Beret Veteran TED MAHER Held Hostage by Monaco for 629 Days and Counting... (Thread VI)
American Green Beret Vet TED MAHER Held HOSTAGE by Monaco for 629 Days (Thread 6) second thread 6"
American Green Beret Vet TED MAHER Held HOSTAGE by Monaco for 629 Days (Thread 10)
VOICE YOUR OPINION!
Free Internet Fax Service
Free E-Mail to Fax from your computer, just fill in form on page , they do the rest.
Make sure you enter fax # like this 12024562461 (no spaces or -)
Areas they SEND free faxes to includes ALL of WASH. DC Area Code 202
Is the number you want them to SEND FREE FAX covered?
Complete list of areas they SEND FREE FAXES to
White House Fax (202) 456-2461
(202) 456-6538 alternate fax number given out by White House
Congress.Org -- Write to Congress and State Legislators
Locate Legislators for your zip code, gives you links to YOUR local Legislators with phone, e-mail etc info.
Guide to Local Media
Locate media in your zip code, gives you links to YOUR local media with phone, e-mail etc info.
FYI:
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 PennsylvaniaAvenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Phone: 1(202)456-1414
FAX: 12024562461 or12024566538
E-mail: President George W. Bush - president@whitehouse.gov
V.P. Dick Cheney - vice.president@whitehouse.gov
First Lady Laura Bush - first.lady@whitehouse.gov
Mrs. Lynne Cheney - mrs.cheney@whitehouse.gov
________________________________________________________
Congresswoman Sue Kelly
1127 Longworth House office Building
Washington, DC 20515-3219
Phone: 1(202)225-5441
E-mail: dearsue@mail.house.gov
Assistant - Phyllis Coleman - phyllis.coleman@mail.house.gov
_______________________________________________________
Secretay of State Colin Powell
FAX: 12022618577
E-mail: secretary@state.gov
State Department - Brian Lieke E-mail: liekebm@state.gov
_______________________________________________________
Amnesty International
322 8th Ave.
New York, NY 10001
Phone: 1(212)807-8400
FAX: 12124639193 or 12126271451
E-mail: admin-us@aiusa.org
________________________________________________________
Mr. Henry Hyde
House on International Relations Committee
Phone: 1(202)225-4561
Assistant: Aaron Blaine - blaine.aaron@mail.house.gov
Europe - Kelly McDonald - kelly.mcdonald@mail.house.gov
_______________________________________________________
Senator George Allen (he helped obtain the release of Chinese scholar Gao Zhan)
website - "http://allen.senate.gov/"
FAX: 12022245432
________________________________________________________
His Serene Highness
Prince Rainier III
Palais Princier
Place du Palais
B.P.518
MC 98015 Monaco Ville
Principality of Monaco
These are from www.palais-princier.mc/ -
Le Palais de Monaco
Place du Palais - Monaco Ville
FAX: 37793508173
Phone: 377 93 25 18
________________________________________________________
Consulate General of Monaco
565 Fifth Avenue -23rd Floor
New York, NY 10017
Phone: 1(212)286-0500
FAX12122861574
E-mail: info@monaco-consulate.com
Hon. Maguy Maccario-Doyle, Consul General
________________________________________________________
U.S. Consulate in Marseilles
FAX: 33491550947
E-mail: amcongenmars@fr.inter.net
________________________________________________________
Monaco Guest Book
(You can write in English on the French page and scroll down to read. Please note they have a tendency to delete messages regarding Ted - not "fairytale-correct.")
Oops. I knew I was gonna forget to change that! Grrr...
As far as the questions about Monaco, let's wait until Phil shows up to answer specifics. If I try to do it, I'll probably get it wrong. I think they wrote a new law just for Ted that would allow them to "legally" hold him as long as they want with no trial.
As far as what reasons the politicians have cited for not talking to Monaco about it... That's a dang good question and one I would like an answer to. As I understand it, Ted's representative, Sue Kelly, has been very helpful and has done everything she can to help. It's the higher-ups like Secretay of State Colin Powell, Henry Hyde, and President Bush who need to be contacted about this.
Although I don't consider myself a "Bushie," I'm a Bush supporter. I like him; I voted for him; and I even have a personalized, autographed photograph of him hanging proudly in my office despite the negative results it may have on my chances of promotion. But this thing with Monaco and their scapegoating of Ted should really be addressed by our Administration. A "behind-the-scenes" approach is fine. Just do something!
No need to apologize, Lady.
The new thread's simply beautiful & right on time.
~Nice job.
On behalf of myself, then; a very big, heartfelt thank you!
...& I'd guess if Ted Maher only could, he'd echo that thank you, too.
"But this thing with Monaco and their scapegoating of Ted should really be addressed by our Administration. A 'behind-the-scenes' approach is fine. Just do something!"
Bingo.
That particular point has really irked me, too.
What with all the *worldly* things, events, & problems this administration's up to its naval with?
Wouldn't it seem a piece of cake for Dubya's administration to simply tell these Monacoite geeks to either declare their intentions, immediately; or, hand Ted Maher over to US authorities -- now.
Instead?
All we've heard from this crowd is the thunder of nothing. Nada. Nyet.
The whole thing makes absolutely no sense, a'tall.
The enclosed self-explanatory reply from the US Department of State was recently recieved in response to the inquiry my office made on your behalf.
Please know of my continued interest in your husband's case. Upon receipt of the post's report or any further information, we will be back in touch with you.
Please let us know if you have any additional information or if there have been any changes in your case. My staff contact on this case is Phyllis Coleman.
Sincerely,
Sue Kelly
Member of Congress
United States Department of State
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Ms. Kelly:
This is in reponse to your letter of November 13, regarding your constituent, Theodore Maher, who is incarcerated in Monaco.
As you know, the Department of State and the Consulate General in Marseille have worked closely with Mr. Maher, his family, and the Monegasque authorities to ensure that his rights and interests are duly protected under international law and in accordance with the customary practices in such cases. Our consular officer in Marseille has continued to monitor Mr. Maher's case closely, and consular staff members have continued to hold frequent visits with him at the Monaco Jail to monitor his condition and discuss his concerns. Our consular officer's most recent visit with Mr. Maher was on December 19. We will provide you with a readout on the visit once we receive post's report, expected shortly. We expect it will include details on Mr Maher's release from solitary confinement, and on the status of visits by members of the clergy. We will try to provide this information to you through your office's e-mail address to expedite your receipt of this information.
We sympathize with Mrs. Maher's concerns about her husband's situation. As your letter notes, there are many differences between the legal systems of the United States and Monaco. Pretrial detention may be lengthy, as the investigating magistrate may extend the detention period for two-month periods indefinately. The pretrial investigation can also be of considerable length. Closure of the investigation can be dependant on the resolution of appeals on both criminal and civil cases, since civil and criminal cases may be folded together into the same deliberation under Monegasque law. The most recent delays in setting a trail date in Mr. Maher's case appear to be caused by appeals from other parties in the civil side of the case. Once a trial begins, a three-judge panel will consider the evidence collected by the investigating magistrate, and hear the arguments presented by prosecuting and defense attorneys.
Members of our Consular Affairs staff met with the Monaco Consul General in Washington on November 29, and requested that the Consul General relay our concerns over delays to the Monagasque Ministry of Foreign Affairs in setting a trial date for Mr. Maher's case. The Department will continue to work with Mr. Maher's attorneys and Monagasque authorities to ensure that he receives due process under local law.
I hope this information is of assistance to you. Please feel free to contact Brrian Lieke of the Office of American Citizens Services in the Bureau of Consular Affairs on this matter at (202) 647-6178.
Sincerely,
Paul V. Kelly
Assistant Secretary
Legislative Affairs
November 13, 2001
The Honorable Colin Powell
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20520
Dear Secretary Powell:
This is in further reference to my previous correspondence and subsequent staff communications regarding the ongoing situation of my constituent, Mr. Theodore "Ted" Maher, a private duty nurse and Army veteran who has been imprisoned in Monaco without trial, for nearly two years. The government of Monaco has charged him with the crime of arson, which allegedly resulted in the wrongful deaths of two people.
Ted's wife, Heidi, has been vigilant in gathering as much information as possible about her husband's case and the events involving his arrest. My office has received numerous letters, phone calls and e-mails questioning the role of our government and requesting further investigation and action in this situation. All of the circumstances surrounding his arrest and imprisonment by Monaco officials warrants a closer review by our government as there is an indication of possible multilateral treaty and human rights violations.
Article 10 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that "everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him." I am aware that there are many differences between the legal systems of our country and Monaco, and that the judge assigned to the case has broad discretionary powers to thoroughly investigate before going to trial. In this case, Judge Richet has postponed the trial more than once for reasons that are unclear.
It has now been more than 700 days since Ted was imprisoned and there is still no trial date. Certainly, you can imagine the level of frustration that his wife and three small children must be suffering with yet another holiday approaching. He still continues in isolation 23 hours per day without any English contacts and most recently, has been denied visits from all priests. This is a denial of his religious rights. Mail from his family and magazine subscriptions are arbitrarily withheld. He is allowed a single call per week to his wife but any discussion of his "case" will disconnect the call.
My office had been receiving periodic updates and copies of reports of the Consular Officer in Marseille's regular monthly visits with Ted, however, we have received no information for several months now. Heidi has been requesting to know exactly what is being done within our own U.S. government, other than the monthly Consular visits, to help secure her husband's release.
On behalf of The Maher Family, I urge your assistance in questioning the Government of Monaco as to the progress of the investigation and the cause of such unreasonable delays in affording my constituent the justice he so rightly deserves. Such interest expressed by our Government could put Monaco authorities on "alert" and send the impression that, in spite of ongoing world events, we are still following this case closely with anticipation of a fair and swift outcome of the trial.
Thank you in advance for your consideration of this matter. I look forward to hearing from you. My e-mail address is: DearSue@mail.house.gov and my facsimile number is 202-225-3289.
Sincerely,
Sue Kelly
Member of Congress
It's now Wednesday March 20, 2002, today -- which, I needn't tell you of all people, MrsM.
If Dubya were to just pick up his BatPhone, ringup the *Prince* & simply ask him, "What's the deal here with our citizen you're holding, Ted Maher?"
~Amazing *things* would begin to happen.
That *a* pol & low level bureaucrat or two are in there pitching not on behalf of Ted Maher's recieving justice or his treatment *until then*; but, what sounds (to me) only so far as to urge Ted's case be "expidited"?
~Thanks for nothing, Congresswoman!
Obviously, that's not going be nearly enough to impress, or motivate the Monaco ghouls who've their hooks in Ted to do a thing; not, until they're ready.
What's really needed here, is a *Big Gun* poking 'em in the eye & jabbin' 'em in the ribs.
Or else, the idiots are liable to come up with these delays ad nauseum ad infinitum.
*That*, is as wrong as wrong can possibly (ever) be & that's my beef with our government.
These people don't seem to be able to see the forest through the trees; &, this isn't the time for bureacratic goobledegook.
Ted's clock is ticking; & has been ticking for over 800 days, now.
Again; you above anyone know this all too well -- this I know.
It just galls me to no end reading the balony from those people.
I just hope you & the babies are doing as well as can be expected, under the circumstance.
You just keep that chin up now, y'hear?
We're all with you; and, in a strange way imprisoned right along with Ted, as we await his release.
-BTTT-
Prayers for him and his family.
Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown
Monaco. How anyone could vacation in that hell-hole of a country, I'll never know. Every time the "vacation" word comes up in my conversations with people, I tell them about this to make sure they'll boycott the place. Please do the same.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.