Control Risks - the unprecendented protection of the McCanns

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May 3, between 11.30pm and 12.00midnight - Policia Judiciara [Portuguese National Police Force = PJ] arrive.

May 4 - Clarence Mitchell, the then Head of the 40-strong Central Office of Information Media Monitoring Unit, at the heart of the government’s ‘spin machine’, is appointed by the government to control publicity on the McCann case. He flies out to Praia da Luz later in May. Before doing so, he boasts in a TV interview that it was he who spoke to Archbishop Cormac Murphy O’Connor and got him to arrange an audience for the McCanns with the Pope in Rome.

May 4, 4am - PJ ask McCanns to vacate Apartment 5A. Mark Warners move them to a different location in the Ocean Club. The crime scene in Apartment 5A is sealed and examined later that morning.

May 4 - Sniffer dogs are brought in, the Spanish and border police and airports are notified. Volunteer teams comb the village, resort and beach for clues. Already, the McCanns begin to accuse the Portuguese police of ‘not doing enough’ to find Madeleine. In the evening, the McCanns make an emotional plea, speaking of their ‘anguish and despair’.

May 4 - Alex Woolfall, Head of Crisis Management at Bell Pottinger, one of the nation's top media and public relations firms, flies out to Praia da Luz, and spends much time advising the McCanns

May 5 - David Hopkins, Managing Director of Mark Warners, flies out to help, together with the Director (Alan Pike) and another member (Martin Alderton) of the Skipton-based Centre for Crisis Psychology (CCP), both appointed by Mark Warners and presumably paid by them. The Skipton Herald reports that “Mr Alderton has counselled those affected by major disasters across the country”, while a spokesman for Mark Warner said: ‘The Centre for Crisis Psychology (CCP) came highly recommended by industry partners and have been known to us for some time. Their experience in dealing with a variety of incidents is second to none’.

May 5 - At least three police officers from Leicestershire Police fly out to praia da Luz, including Detective Superintendent Bob Small, who spoke to Jane Tanner on 13 May shortly before she adamantly identified Robert Murat as the abductor she''d seen 10 days earlier (see below)

Between May 5 and 12 - Two top people from Control Risks Group (CRG) are dispatched to Praia da Luz, Kenneth Farrow and Michael Keenan. Mr Farrow is the ex-head of the Economic Crime Unit in the City of London Police and Mr Keenan an ex-Superintendent from the Metropolitan Police with specialist fraud and investigative experience. No-one knows how they can help find a missing child, but Jane Tanner admits to speaking to them before she identified Robert Murat as the man with a child she claimed to have seen on 3 May. It is uncertain who promised to pay for them to come out; it could have been the government, or Brian Kennedy. Jane Tanner referred to them as ‘the people Kate and Gerry brought in’.

Also during this time Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff were sent out to Praia da Luz, including Sheree Dodd, who soon returned to London amid reports that she did not accept the McCanns’ claims that Madeleine had been abducted.

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I would think that Woolfall works for CRG as I'd think it very unlikely that Bell Pottinger would retain their own crisis expert?

From: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

It’s always good to remember that first call to GNR precinct was 45 minutes after Kate realized Madeleine disappeared, and the head of PJ was informed by the British Ambassador, around 11h15, even before PJ detectives had time to drive from Portimão to Praia da Luz…

Alex Woolfall is a star among stars. His experience covers “deliberate sabotage and accidental contamination of products (from food to pharmaceuticals); accident, injury and death in the workplace; allegations of corporate manslaughter; product recalls; corporate fraud and theft; court cases on the grounds of sex, race and age discrimination; redundancy and closure announcements; the use of illegal and/or child labour; regulatory breaches; mislabelling of products; abduction and robberies and terrorist related activities”, according to Bell Pottinger site. Quite a curriculum…
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Here is Bell Pottinger, the opening page says it all: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] 'Better reputations, better results' - Reputation Management

Now such experts would really know how to find a missing child?  

Why are so many of these people involved in investigations into Fraud ?

A shortened list:

May 4th:
Clarence Mitchell: appointed by the government to control publicity on the McCann case.

Alex Woolfall, Head of Crisis Management at Bell Pottinger, one of the nation's top media and public relations firms.

Bell Pottinger:  reputation management

British Ambassador drives 3+ hours down to Pdl on 4th.

Consular assistance has been in place as from around midnight on the 3rd.


May 5th:
Director (Alan Pike) and another member (Martin Alderton) of the Skipton-based Centre for Crisis Psychology (CCP)

At least three police officers from Leicestershire Police fly out to praia da Luz, including Detective Superintendent Bob Small.

Two top people from Control Risks Group (CRG) are dispatched to Praia da Luz, Kenneth Farrow and Michael Keenan.
..Specialist fraud and investigative experience. No-one knows how they can help find a missing child.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff were sent out.

....first call to GNR precinct was 45 minutes after Kate realized Madeleine disappeared, and the head of PJ was informed by the British Ambassador, around 11h15, even before PJ detectives had time to drive from Portimão to Praia da Luz…

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Alan Pike did a great job in reputation management as well by declaring that the McCanns seemed like 'Model Parents' to him the very next day!
Woolfall did much the same job in reputation rescue.
FO Sheree Dodd is recalled fairly soon as she doesn't believe the McCann 'account of the truth'.
British Ambassador - a political appointment, not his job at all to sort this out, missed breakfast to get to PdL - was on the job within hours.

In short, the troops that were mobilised right from the start were there to : 'manage reputation, control publicity, 'control' the investigation, declaring it badly run as early as 10.00 am on the 4th (Consul telephone call) and police officers some of whom were experts on fraud who were to liaise with the PJ regarding an abducted child.

For more details on government help extended to the McCanns: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]