President Bush: Please Bring Ted Maher Home From Banana-Republic Monaco!

[sinkspur]

When the Monaco police beat you into confessing, that's it.

Uh, huh. Sure. What with Ted Maher's dupes, and the David Westerfield groupies, FR has become a rubber room, full of the gullible who believe friggin' criminals!

PT Barnum was right.

[firewalk]

Bttt

[American Preservative]

Dear FReepers and FRiends, the last ping was at post #2028. Please read forward. Thank you.

Wishing strength to the Maher family and freedom and justice for Ted!

[sinkspur]

Yes. Let's wish for justice for Ted.

From the COURTTV website:

American nurse on trial in billionaire's death says it was an accident

MONTE CARLO, Monaco (AP) — An American nurse who has confessed to setting a blaze that killed his billionaire employer said in a Monaco court Friday that he never expected the fire to rage out of control.

At the second day of his trial, Ted Maher indicated the fire was part of a bizarre plan to ingratiate himself with Edmond Safra, his wealthy employer. Safra, the founder and principal stock owner of the Republic National Bank of New York, died in the Dec. 3, 1999 blaze in his Monaco penthouse, along with Vivian Torrente, one of his private nurses.

Speaking in a monotone and looking gaunt, Maher told the court he started the blaze in a small wastebasket, expecting it to set off a fire alarm that would bring help and allow him to reap the credit for saving his employer.

"It was very stupid," Maher said. Pinching his nose and bowing his head, he added: "I will have to live with this daily for the rest of my life. ... It was a terrible accident, that's all it was. A terrible accident for which I share my part of the responsibility."

"I never wanted to hurt Safra," he said.

Maher, 44, could face a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted of arson that led to the death of two people.

Maher testified that he started the fire, then stabbed himself -- convinced he would emerge the hero who rushed his employer to safety while fending off attackers. Safra and Torrente suffocated in the smoke-filled bathroom where they sought refuge.

Rescuers were slow in responding to the smoke alarm, Maher testified. The defense contends police stopped firefighters from entering the building, believing two intruders were still inside.

One of Maher's lawyers, Michael Griffith, claimed that Safra may also have contributed to his own death, refusing to leave the bathroom despite receiving repeated phone calls assuring him it was safe to come out.

Griffith also accused police and fire services of negligence, saying: "They got on the premises at 5:15 a.m. and didn't get into Mr. Safra's room until 7:45. It's abhorrent that two and a half hours went by and no one saved this man. These were keystone cops."

Maher at times sounded confused as he listened to the proceedings being translated from French into English. He showed flashes of anger under questioning by prosecutors.

A former Green Beret, Maher helped care for Safra, who suffered from Parkinson's disease and required around-the-clock care. He has been held in Monaco for the last three years.

[scripter]

Thanks for the updated ping.

[scripter]

I haven't read everything there is to read on this subject but what I have read doesn't seem to add up. Have you completely ruled out a forced confession and if so, why?

[PhilDragoo]

LILY SENDS EDMOND'S SECURITY TEAM AWAY THE NIGHT OF HIS DEATH

DatelineNBC "Who Killed The Billionaire?" November 21, 2000

But incredibly, not even one member of Safra’s personal army of former Israeli soldiers was with him the night of the fire.

SARA JAMES: “This is one of the most mysterious aspects of this entire story. We know that he had a lot of security and many people say he was paranoid. Given all that, how come all his security people were off the night he died?”

BOAZ BISMUTH: “That is the big question.” Bismuth says he got a curious answer when he talked to one of those bodyguards after Safra’s death.

BOAZ BISMUTH: “I called the place where the bodyguards stay and I had this conversation with one of the young ones. The answer of that young bodyguard was the lady did not want…”

SARA JAMES: “The wife? Lily Safra? Didn’t want security?”

BOAZ BISMUTH: “…did not want security."

Odd: the night Edmond dies his wife--who'd just changed his will to her benefit--sends the security team away. . .

The woman Lily paid $100,000 to in a "confidentiality agreement" pencils in Ted and Vivian at the last minute. . .

Ted is framed and Vivian is strangled--didn't die of "asphyxiation--

And Lily pays Vivian's husband $2,000,000 to avoid an insurance investigation. . .

Lily couldn't buy the insurance investigation apparently.

[American Preservative]

'Welcome. Michael (Ted's brother) has some articles posted at tedmaher.com

And, thank YOU Phil for the updates and info.

[sinkspur]

Have you completely ruled out a forced confession and if so, why?

Anything's possible. But with the eyes of the world, and COURT TV on this trial, he could say anything he wants. Including the truth, if it differs from his confession.

This whole thing, a Green Beret wet-nursing a rich old guy so he could financially benefit, is bizarre.

Listen, with the kind of money this guy had, staging a bizarre incident to get Safra's attention is perfectly plausible.

[PhilDragoo]

TED MAHER CASE--A PANOPLY OF ANOMALY

~Videotape from the penthouse security camera(s) "missing"--fire report

~The police emergency tape from December 3, 1999 "missing"--but police have tapes for day before and day after

~The cell phone records for Edmond and Vivian suppressed--only "proof" of events is Sonia, Lily's paid agent

~Sonia's three accounts in the fire report contradictory--and her subsequent accounts keep changing

~The first official Monaco press report stated two intruders

~Monaco police questioned--and released--two Middle Eastern men in the parking garage under the building

~Initial reports said Mr. Safra was shot twice as was Lily's second husband Alfredo Monteverde who left her two hundred million dollars shooting himself twice in the heart

~Lily changed Edmond's will to her benefit shortly before his death

~Lily changed their citizenship to Monagasque effective the day of his death

~Boaz Bismuth said "the lady" sent the security team away

~"Someone" disconnected the burglar alarm July 1, 1999

~Autopsy report does not explain Vivian's strangulation, spattering with Edmond's blood.

~Multiple ignition sources reported in the fire report--never confessed to by Ted

~"Sudden conflagration" at 6:00 a.m.--an hour after Ted was rushed to Princess Grace Hospital with knife wounds

~False ceilings, a trap door to the attic, special air handling equipment for independent ventilation to Edmond and Lily

~Steel roller blinds controlled separately for Edmond from an electric panel which "failed" during the attack, the blinds made manually inoperable by covering the hand crank access with "decoration"--yet Lily's remained open allowing her "escape"

~Lily had Edmond buried in Switzerland despite his lifelong wish to be buried in Israel--thwarting exhumation?

~Lily had Edmond cremated--thwarting forensic examination?

~Lily wouldn't allow the brothers near the coffin at the funeral

~The police claim Ted knifed himself--yet no medical professional would risk deadly infection by cutting himself over the intestines, and the wound locations made them extremely awkward for Ted to have caused, and the wounds required one hundred staples to close and multiple transfusions--making them far more likely to have been defensive wounds suffered in an attack than self-inflicted, and the police had TWO knives

~Police planted a sealed bottle of lidocaine in Ted's room--but refused his insistence they test it for fingerprints and paper trail

~The police suppressed and destroyed Ted's original clothing which was slashed and bloody from the attack,

--provided instead brand-new undamaged and unstained sportswear, clothing Ted did not own and which would have been forbidden to be worn on shift tending Mr. Safra

~The prosecutor claimed Ted was using drugs, but the hospital tests showed Ted negatif negatif negatif for drugs and alcohol

~Lily paid her medical supervisor Sonia Casiano-Herkrath one hundred thousand dollars in a "confidentiality agreement"--

and it was Sonia's [contradictory] testimony that is the sole account of Edmond and Vivian's calls and condition

~Lily paid Vivian's husband Ireneo $2,000,000 of her own funds to stave off an insurance investigation

~False confession in French--Ted does not read/write/speak

~Three days in four-point restraint, catheterized, sleep-deprived

~Police kidnap Heidi, steal passport, use to threaten Ted

~Photos and tapes of children used to threaten Ted

~Ted's mail and telephone communication suppressed

~Consular visits must be prompted by repeated complaint

~Even his priest's visits have been prevented on flimsy pretext--two priests were removed for sympathizing

~Monaco magistrate broke law to question Ted without attorney present--which resulted in two other defendants being released this year--but not Ted

~Monaco broke law by intercepting client-attorney correspondence

~Judge D'Instruction Patricia Richet hugged Lily, screamed at Ted, "I know that you are guilty!" tore up children's letters

~Patricia Richet attacked her replacement judge d'instruction Hullin, putting him in the hospital for a week

~Richet runs off to Paris without explanation abandoning the case

~Richet was seen embracing Lily at the re-enactment

~Richet got unprecedented reappointment for "her obedience to police" per Profonde Gorge

~Lily travels only in armored limos with bodyguards, fled Monaco for London--

[scripter]

Anything's possible. But with the eyes of the world, and COURT TV on this trial, he could say anything he wants. Including the truth, if it differs from his confession.

I see your point now, thanks for taking the time to explain it. I guess the only things I can think of that might prevent Ted from saying anything on TV are

1. Beatings when he returns to prison
2. The rape of his wife (if she gets visits)
3. Since they've had him 3 years, maybe he's brainwashed or confused

I'm not in the habit of sticking up for folks I don't know and the above 3 reasons could be completely bogus. Still, something doesn't seem right.

This whole thing, a Green Beret wet-nursing a rich old guy so he could financially benefit, is bizarre.

I haven't read everything on that. While it may seem bizarre, life has taught me some things are more complicated than they appear.

Listen, with the kind of money this guy had, staging a bizarre incident to get Safra's attention is perfectly plausible.

Indeed. But is it the truth? I'm going to read more. Also, I've been found guilty for a crime I had nothing to do with, so I'm rather skeptical of some things, especially the law in other countries.

Thanks for the info, sinkspur.

[Landru]

Hi there you rotting chunk of scum.

Aren't you dead, yet?

...we're waiting, you know.

[sinkspur]

Aren't you dead, yet?

Nah. I'll be dancing on your grave.

Or relieving myself.

[scripter]

You probably saw post 2090. If even some of that stuff is true something isn't right with this case.

[sinkspur]

If even some of that stuff is true something isn't right with this case.

Maher admitted to setting the fire to draw attention to himself.

[Landru]

So, when & where do we meet, pal.
We have that little bet to settle.

...remember?

[sinkspur]

remember?

No.

[scripter]

Maher admitted to setting the fire to draw attention to himself.

I saw that the first time. :-) But under what conditions? After being a prisoner for how long? I'm trying to play devil's advocate and remain objective at the same time. As I also said, I've seen the courts work against the completely innocent and post 2090 shows me many red flags.

Maher admitting to setting the fire is just one statement that could have been made under duress. All the other red flags drown any concern I have about any confession made under possible duress. Sorry - that's just how I see it.

[Landru]

HA!

...didn't think you would.

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!