McCann case: OVERVIEW OF THE TOUR AND TRIPS HOME
Page 1 of 1 • Share
McCann case: OVERVIEW OF THE TOUR AND TRIPS HOME
by Jill Havern 16.10.15 21:35
Posted by 'tigger' http://fytton.blogspot.co.uk/
START:
Between the 4th and the 9th of May 2007 the troops available to the McCanns were:
11 members of family and friends
Craigh Mayhew, MW operations director.
The Consul and Pro Consul
The British Ambassador
Alan Pike – trauma psychologist and assistant
Alex Woolfall, PR Head of crisis management
3 Leicester Police Officers
2 Criminal Behaviour Experts from CEOP
Sheree Dodd from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Phonecall from Cherie Blair, and one from Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett.
The above are just the advance troops although Sheree Dodd soon returned to London amid reports that she did not accept the McCanns’claim that Madeleine had been abducted.
In any case, experts in various fields who would not normally have been involved in such a case and certainly not that early in the proceedings. Consular assistance is normal, Mark Warner getting their PR expert in is understandable, but only if he was working to promote Mark Warner and not the McCanns. For why would the victims of a crime need PR?
A trauma unit is par for the course these days so that is not out of the ordinary.
So right from the start we have two Foreign Office officials working for the McCanns, these people do not act on their own, they are instructed by the Foreign Office. Who do not in general send out the troops in such numbers without being told to do so - and such commands come from 'above' so to speak.
THE JOURNEY BEGINS:
20th May: Gerry returns to the UK , he appears not to have seen any family, gets photographed in Rothley amongst yellow ribbons.
22nd May: Gerry returns with Clarence Mitchell – lent to him by the F.O.
24th May Last photo released to the world’s Press.
24th May – the day Missing People launched with ‘A New Yellow Ribbon Symbol ‘ a large scale projection on Marble Arch.
24th May – The McCanns make a pilgrimage to Fatima. The DT reports: ‘The McCanns are launching a series of trips across Europe to help widen the search [..] the couple, both devout Catholics, started their ‘mission’yesterday in Fatima. ‘
Recap:
Missing Persons – changed to Missing People on May 24th. The event is alleged to have been instigated at the behest of the European Commission, spearheaded by former EC Vice-President and self-appointed ‘Guardian Angel of Children’, Franco Frattini. The event was attended by John McCann.
Franco Frattini wanted Blair for European Council President as he repeated in a speech some two years later. http://archivio.siciliainformazioni.com/now-italy/italy-backs-blair-for-eu-president-frattini-says-he-has-the-stature-and-charisma-for-the-job/
Although Gerry returned to Rothley to ‘trawl through four years of family albums – to select new pictures of her he comes back with a picture allegedly taken on the day she disappeared – the pool picture.
He also comes back with the head of the Media Monitoring Unit, who controls what comes out in the news – a job description given to us by the man himself: Clarence Mitchell.
One may conclude: Foreign Office and possibly soon to be ex-PM Blair seem somewhat involved, so too is the European Commission who are promoting Missing People and their yellow ribbons.
There is a strong connection to the yellow ribbons in Rothley two days earlier in my opinion. The usual public response is an avalanche of teddy bears, dolls, flowers and messages. Not yellow ribbons. So how did the good people of Rothley have such an uncanny feel for what was to come?
We don’t know where Gerry was, apart from Rothley, during that trip. However, he found Clarence and came back with the news that they would start a European ‘mission’.
ROME:
Clarence started at the top: God’s representative on earth.
Kate’s Diary: 27th May: Clarence spoke to us about a possible visit to the Vatican. Rome is already preparing itself.’
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-Oçonnor, the RC Archbishop of Westminster, had been instrumental in organising the visit. (this suggests government connection)
SKY reports that the Pope has been kept up to date on the search for the 4 yr old.(note: not the Pope who has expressed an interest but the already emerging top level which the McCanns at that time occupied.)
29th May: The McCanns leave in Sir Philip Green’s private jet for Rome.
30th – audience with the Pope
30th – asked a question by a Swedish journalist he is told by Gerry: ‘We have no immediate plans to go to Sweden and we hope and pray that this will be over before we get to Scandinavia.’
(for two people who want the widest possible awareness it seems that Scandinavia wasn't on the list - this may be because the itinerary was not planned by the McCanns but e.g. the Foreign Office?)
MADRID:
1ST June – McCanns have a busy day in Madrid taken up with government- and non-government agencies [..] various TV interviews and a press conference.
It is at this point that the intention of becoming a representative of far more than one child is apparent:
Steven Kingstone: (voice over) ‘here they appealed for help from the public and action from the Spanish authorities.’
Gerry McCann: I would like some reassurance, in Spain, that there has been some proactive, errm investigation regarding Madeleine’s disappearance and I think it is at least worth exploring the possibility that Madeleine’s disappearance should not be considered in isolation.’
Steve Kingstone: As the couple see it, that means cross-referencing this inquiry with other missing children cases throughout Spain and Portugal. [..] This afternoon the McCanns met Spain’s interior minister to discuss a broader approach to child abduction.
Gerry knows the political jargon by now but not where he stands in the pecking order - it is not his place to demand reassurance from the Spanish government that they are investigating this case 'properly'. Demanding proactive investigation is a bit rich coming from that source I feel..
BERLIN AND AMSTERDAM:
The McCanns flew into Berlin in a private Hawker jet, lent to them by the owner.
They met British ambassador Sir Peter Torry and the Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit.
This didn’t go so well:
Gerry’’s Blog: 6th June 2007:
[..] There has also been a little bit of criticism in the German press about the amount of media coverage [..] I was still surprised by the question as to whether Kate and I may be involved in Madeleine’s abduction!
[..] We had to delay our flight to Amsterdam because of some information received by the police [..] it turned out to be nothing of interest. Unquote
(A man had phoned the PJ saying he was the abductor but he would only speak to the parents themselves. Nothing of interest then.)
The BBC reports on the 6th June that: 'the parents of Madeleine McCann have said their trip around Europe to raise awareness of their missing daughter is their way of taking positive action.' Unquote
Once in Amsterdam there were no government ministers to meet, no presidents of charities or any such dignitaries. Not even the Mayor of Amsterdam. Just journalists, who didn’t ask the right questions. So more or less 0 points for that visit. Although after the scheduled meetings Gerry caught up with “a friend of mine who was attending a medical conference in Amsterdam”. (This was most probably Matthew Oldfield - interesting since they barely knew each other before the PdL holiday – but perhaps useful.)
MOROCCO:
Surprisingly, no jet for Morocco, but an ancient pre-war plane. (One wonders if the luxury part of the European Tour had already been down-scaled rather than that the luxury jet had engine trouble.)
They arrive with posters printed in Arabic and these same posters are presumably the ones which the Moroccan schoolchildren had to hold up for the photographs.
The Portuguese journalist Paulo Reis reports:
[..] the English couple was accompanied by a very British gentleman who is presented to us as a British diplomat from the Foreign Office. John Kayne accompanies the English couple on his journey for two weeks.
The McCanns meet with the Directors of various children’s charities and Kate tells us that ‘for these meetings to take place permission must have been granted by the King himself’. A little later she mentions a ‘palace-sponsored child welfare watchdog’. Still – that’s as close as they got to the King. As an extra they are received by the minister of Islamic Affairs, this meeting is arranged by his daughter, who is their translator.
If we look at the overall results it all started very well in Rome, in Madrid other children were added to the mission but both Berlin and Amsterdam were rather disappointing. There was no mention of the British Ambassador in Amsterdam and there are few details of the meeting with the Mayor of Berlin.
In both cases the press conferences proved to be a minefield. Neither of the McCanns came over well and in Amsterdam advice was given to Gerry by Clarence whilst holding up a pair of pyjamas to hide their conversation. Journalists tend to notice such things.
Morocco too, seems even more of a disappointment. Virtually nothing in the way of government officials, the usual news conference where this time they are flanked by a translator and Clarence.
More to the point – we are told that an official from the Foreign Office has accompanied the McCanns for two weeks. That’s just about right, starting with Rome on the 29th of May to the 12th of June. So that means the F.O. had their minder in place.
BUT:
‘madeleine’Chapter 11:
At the beginning of June, Gerry had a call from the director of communications at the Foreign Office… [..] whatever the case, it was suggested to Gerry that we should use Madeleine’s Fund to employ someone to replace Clarence once our campaign visits were complete. Unquote
So from the above we see: government participation and no doubt at all, connections made so that the McCanns could meet dignitaries and preferably government officials. After the Pope's blessing the expectations may have been high, but in fact it went downhill from there fairly fast, resulting in the Foreign Office recalling Clarence and presumably all other liaison with foreign powers to arrange visits for the McCanns ceased at that time.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It seems that by the middle of June things started to go quiet:
17th June: Kate’s Diary:
'Cherie Blair phoned to find out how we were.[..] I also had the chance to speak to Tony who told me that we weren’t to hesitate to ask him if there was something he could do to help.’
19th June Gerry is in the UK, loses his wallet with the credit cards the Home Office have assured the PJ he doesn’t have, visits (according to Clarence Mitchell) the F.O. and returns to PdL only to find a drunk in the road who needs help.
There are no photographs from this entire trip, so no journalists lying in wait in Gatwick or elsewhere. It does not appear that he has taken up Blair’s kind offer of help given just two days earlier.
12th July – 14th July -Things are looking a bit better on the next trip when Gerry is honoured by the Police Federation but this junket is arranged entirely by The Sun, who sponsors the award. The Sun even suggests giving the McCanns an award (for what I am not clear) but Kate writes in her book that they didn’t feel worthy of such honours.
Gerry visits CEOP – but that is not a government institution as such – it was at the time a Ltd. Co. with government funding.
Gerry does meet with the Press Complaints Commission’s president. He visits Sir Christopher Meyer at his home in London where Sir Christopher gives him the bad news that the PCC doesn’t do money for bad publicity.
Somewhere along the line the McCanns have paid Bell Pottinger half a million pounds to keep Madeleine on the front page for a year. Possibly during this period when the media were losing interest.
22nd July – 26th July Gerry is in the US. But once again, not meeting top people, but congressmen and an Attorney-General. He seems to have spent nearly two days at the US missing children centre.
Gerry’s blog 25th July:
[..] visit to the White House to meet with the First Lady’s deputy Chief of Staff Sarah Armstrong. This visit was facilitated by Lady Catherine Meyer, founder of the British charity PACT. Unquote
Again some name-dropping (Pope and G 8 summit had already had a pat on the back) cunningly phrased but in effect he met the deputy of the Chief of Staff of the wife of the President and had a lightning tour of the public areas of the White House.
Gerry managed to mention the G8 summit in a TV interview and gives the impression they had taken note of the plight of the McCanns. He mentions a discussion with the Attorney General to advance legislation, but it that's all. He basically only spoke to the president of ICMEC and a few notables and he got into the White House because an ex-ambassador’s wife pulled a few strings.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This set of journeys together does give some indication where the government definitely did interfere (e.g. Home Office, credit cards, records) and helped (F.O. supplying a minder for the Eurotour, lending Clarrie, making connections with dignitaries to be visited) but on the whole they weren’t wholeheartedly behind the McCanns and their help was withdrawn at the earliest opportunity. That is help in promoting the McCanns, - under Brown the manipulation went on, but by that time it was more of a damage limitation exercise. Most of Brown's interference occurred after they became arguidos.
It seems obvious is that the press were losing interest by mid June and at the same time the Foreign Office had suggested that if the McCanns wanted media liaison they could pay for it themselves.
The charities stand out in this collection of players, principally Missing People – the yellow ribbons in Rothley, the relaunch on the same date that the McCanns announced their European Tour.
Which may well have been arranged with the F.O. during that visit which also produced the pool photo.
Blair was about to step down as PM and desperately keen to become European President. That may have been one factor in the unprecedented help given. Cherie Blair was a director of PACT, a charity which paid the directors more than the total income at one time but had always had European ambitions as evidenced by her interference regarding the Human Rights Act.
EU wanted to set up a complete DNA database of all EU citizens, still does as far as I know. An abducted photogenic toddler might have been just the catalyst the politicians needed.
But only by early June was political help being withdrawn, so it took a month for the doubts about the abduction to reach those with the power to take decisions - still Blair. Brown didn't take over until the end of June. Perhaps Whitehall finally understood the importance of those shutters or perhaps they'd finally looked at the very files they refused to send to the Police Judiciare: MBM's health records and the McCann's credit card records.
And by September Gordon Brown was not so easily brought into line - gone were the days when Gerry would phone Brown and leave a message to phone him back asap. From then on it seems he doesn't even want to speak to them, the glory days didn't last long.
From the Vanity Fair Interview, September 2007 published in February issue 2008:
........ they now feel deserted by the Prime Minister.
In the interview, Clarence Mitchell, the McCann’s spokesman, said: “...it is true that we have requested a meeting with the prime minister to show him the strength of our case, to explain Kate and Gerry’s innocence - and yet all we’ve been offered is a medium-level-consular meeting, which we rejected.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This link is well worth a read:
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id260.html
[size=13]'MAD COW' LEGISLATION' [size=10]02 November 2009[/size]
[/size]
By Dr Martin Roberts
Finding of Fact
• 14. FCO told the Commissioner that a family member had made clear to FCO staff that all comments made by that individual to FCO had been made in strict confidence and were not intended for disclosure to third parties. FCO did not approach the family member again during the Commissioner's investigation but told the Commissioner that they were confident the individual would not appreciate being contacted regarding disclosure of the relevant personal information, a position the Commissioner accepted.
unquote
START:
Between the 4th and the 9th of May 2007 the troops available to the McCanns were:
11 members of family and friends
Craigh Mayhew, MW operations director.
The Consul and Pro Consul
The British Ambassador
Alan Pike – trauma psychologist and assistant
Alex Woolfall, PR Head of crisis management
3 Leicester Police Officers
2 Criminal Behaviour Experts from CEOP
Sheree Dodd from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Phonecall from Cherie Blair, and one from Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett.
The above are just the advance troops although Sheree Dodd soon returned to London amid reports that she did not accept the McCanns’claim that Madeleine had been abducted.
In any case, experts in various fields who would not normally have been involved in such a case and certainly not that early in the proceedings. Consular assistance is normal, Mark Warner getting their PR expert in is understandable, but only if he was working to promote Mark Warner and not the McCanns. For why would the victims of a crime need PR?
A trauma unit is par for the course these days so that is not out of the ordinary.
So right from the start we have two Foreign Office officials working for the McCanns, these people do not act on their own, they are instructed by the Foreign Office. Who do not in general send out the troops in such numbers without being told to do so - and such commands come from 'above' so to speak.
THE JOURNEY BEGINS:
20th May: Gerry returns to the UK , he appears not to have seen any family, gets photographed in Rothley amongst yellow ribbons.
22nd May: Gerry returns with Clarence Mitchell – lent to him by the F.O.
24th May Last photo released to the world’s Press.
24th May – the day Missing People launched with ‘A New Yellow Ribbon Symbol ‘ a large scale projection on Marble Arch.
24th May – The McCanns make a pilgrimage to Fatima. The DT reports: ‘The McCanns are launching a series of trips across Europe to help widen the search [..] the couple, both devout Catholics, started their ‘mission’yesterday in Fatima. ‘
Recap:
Missing Persons – changed to Missing People on May 24th. The event is alleged to have been instigated at the behest of the European Commission, spearheaded by former EC Vice-President and self-appointed ‘Guardian Angel of Children’, Franco Frattini. The event was attended by John McCann.
Franco Frattini wanted Blair for European Council President as he repeated in a speech some two years later. http://archivio.siciliainformazioni.com/now-italy/italy-backs-blair-for-eu-president-frattini-says-he-has-the-stature-and-charisma-for-the-job/
Although Gerry returned to Rothley to ‘trawl through four years of family albums – to select new pictures of her he comes back with a picture allegedly taken on the day she disappeared – the pool picture.
He also comes back with the head of the Media Monitoring Unit, who controls what comes out in the news – a job description given to us by the man himself: Clarence Mitchell.
One may conclude: Foreign Office and possibly soon to be ex-PM Blair seem somewhat involved, so too is the European Commission who are promoting Missing People and their yellow ribbons.
There is a strong connection to the yellow ribbons in Rothley two days earlier in my opinion. The usual public response is an avalanche of teddy bears, dolls, flowers and messages. Not yellow ribbons. So how did the good people of Rothley have such an uncanny feel for what was to come?
We don’t know where Gerry was, apart from Rothley, during that trip. However, he found Clarence and came back with the news that they would start a European ‘mission’.
ROME:
Clarence started at the top: God’s representative on earth.
Kate’s Diary: 27th May: Clarence spoke to us about a possible visit to the Vatican. Rome is already preparing itself.’
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-Oçonnor, the RC Archbishop of Westminster, had been instrumental in organising the visit. (this suggests government connection)
SKY reports that the Pope has been kept up to date on the search for the 4 yr old.(note: not the Pope who has expressed an interest but the already emerging top level which the McCanns at that time occupied.)
29th May: The McCanns leave in Sir Philip Green’s private jet for Rome.
30th – audience with the Pope
30th – asked a question by a Swedish journalist he is told by Gerry: ‘We have no immediate plans to go to Sweden and we hope and pray that this will be over before we get to Scandinavia.’
(for two people who want the widest possible awareness it seems that Scandinavia wasn't on the list - this may be because the itinerary was not planned by the McCanns but e.g. the Foreign Office?)
MADRID:
1ST June – McCanns have a busy day in Madrid taken up with government- and non-government agencies [..] various TV interviews and a press conference.
It is at this point that the intention of becoming a representative of far more than one child is apparent:
Steven Kingstone: (voice over) ‘here they appealed for help from the public and action from the Spanish authorities.’
Gerry McCann: I would like some reassurance, in Spain, that there has been some proactive, errm investigation regarding Madeleine’s disappearance and I think it is at least worth exploring the possibility that Madeleine’s disappearance should not be considered in isolation.’
Steve Kingstone: As the couple see it, that means cross-referencing this inquiry with other missing children cases throughout Spain and Portugal. [..] This afternoon the McCanns met Spain’s interior minister to discuss a broader approach to child abduction.
Gerry knows the political jargon by now but not where he stands in the pecking order - it is not his place to demand reassurance from the Spanish government that they are investigating this case 'properly'. Demanding proactive investigation is a bit rich coming from that source I feel..
BERLIN AND AMSTERDAM:
The McCanns flew into Berlin in a private Hawker jet, lent to them by the owner.
They met British ambassador Sir Peter Torry and the Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit.
This didn’t go so well:
Gerry’’s Blog: 6th June 2007:
[..] There has also been a little bit of criticism in the German press about the amount of media coverage [..] I was still surprised by the question as to whether Kate and I may be involved in Madeleine’s abduction!
[..] We had to delay our flight to Amsterdam because of some information received by the police [..] it turned out to be nothing of interest. Unquote
(A man had phoned the PJ saying he was the abductor but he would only speak to the parents themselves. Nothing of interest then.)
The BBC reports on the 6th June that: 'the parents of Madeleine McCann have said their trip around Europe to raise awareness of their missing daughter is their way of taking positive action.' Unquote
Once in Amsterdam there were no government ministers to meet, no presidents of charities or any such dignitaries. Not even the Mayor of Amsterdam. Just journalists, who didn’t ask the right questions. So more or less 0 points for that visit. Although after the scheduled meetings Gerry caught up with “a friend of mine who was attending a medical conference in Amsterdam”. (This was most probably Matthew Oldfield - interesting since they barely knew each other before the PdL holiday – but perhaps useful.)
MOROCCO:
Surprisingly, no jet for Morocco, but an ancient pre-war plane. (One wonders if the luxury part of the European Tour had already been down-scaled rather than that the luxury jet had engine trouble.)
They arrive with posters printed in Arabic and these same posters are presumably the ones which the Moroccan schoolchildren had to hold up for the photographs.
The Portuguese journalist Paulo Reis reports:
[..] the English couple was accompanied by a very British gentleman who is presented to us as a British diplomat from the Foreign Office. John Kayne accompanies the English couple on his journey for two weeks.
The McCanns meet with the Directors of various children’s charities and Kate tells us that ‘for these meetings to take place permission must have been granted by the King himself’. A little later she mentions a ‘palace-sponsored child welfare watchdog’. Still – that’s as close as they got to the King. As an extra they are received by the minister of Islamic Affairs, this meeting is arranged by his daughter, who is their translator.
If we look at the overall results it all started very well in Rome, in Madrid other children were added to the mission but both Berlin and Amsterdam were rather disappointing. There was no mention of the British Ambassador in Amsterdam and there are few details of the meeting with the Mayor of Berlin.
In both cases the press conferences proved to be a minefield. Neither of the McCanns came over well and in Amsterdam advice was given to Gerry by Clarence whilst holding up a pair of pyjamas to hide their conversation. Journalists tend to notice such things.
Morocco too, seems even more of a disappointment. Virtually nothing in the way of government officials, the usual news conference where this time they are flanked by a translator and Clarence.
More to the point – we are told that an official from the Foreign Office has accompanied the McCanns for two weeks. That’s just about right, starting with Rome on the 29th of May to the 12th of June. So that means the F.O. had their minder in place.
BUT:
‘madeleine’Chapter 11:
At the beginning of June, Gerry had a call from the director of communications at the Foreign Office… [..] whatever the case, it was suggested to Gerry that we should use Madeleine’s Fund to employ someone to replace Clarence once our campaign visits were complete. Unquote
So from the above we see: government participation and no doubt at all, connections made so that the McCanns could meet dignitaries and preferably government officials. After the Pope's blessing the expectations may have been high, but in fact it went downhill from there fairly fast, resulting in the Foreign Office recalling Clarence and presumably all other liaison with foreign powers to arrange visits for the McCanns ceased at that time.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It seems that by the middle of June things started to go quiet:
17th June: Kate’s Diary:
'Cherie Blair phoned to find out how we were.[..] I also had the chance to speak to Tony who told me that we weren’t to hesitate to ask him if there was something he could do to help.’
19th June Gerry is in the UK, loses his wallet with the credit cards the Home Office have assured the PJ he doesn’t have, visits (according to Clarence Mitchell) the F.O. and returns to PdL only to find a drunk in the road who needs help.
There are no photographs from this entire trip, so no journalists lying in wait in Gatwick or elsewhere. It does not appear that he has taken up Blair’s kind offer of help given just two days earlier.
12th July – 14th July -Things are looking a bit better on the next trip when Gerry is honoured by the Police Federation but this junket is arranged entirely by The Sun, who sponsors the award. The Sun even suggests giving the McCanns an award (for what I am not clear) but Kate writes in her book that they didn’t feel worthy of such honours.
Gerry visits CEOP – but that is not a government institution as such – it was at the time a Ltd. Co. with government funding.
Gerry does meet with the Press Complaints Commission’s president. He visits Sir Christopher Meyer at his home in London where Sir Christopher gives him the bad news that the PCC doesn’t do money for bad publicity.
Somewhere along the line the McCanns have paid Bell Pottinger half a million pounds to keep Madeleine on the front page for a year. Possibly during this period when the media were losing interest.
22nd July – 26th July Gerry is in the US. But once again, not meeting top people, but congressmen and an Attorney-General. He seems to have spent nearly two days at the US missing children centre.
Gerry’s blog 25th July:
[..] visit to the White House to meet with the First Lady’s deputy Chief of Staff Sarah Armstrong. This visit was facilitated by Lady Catherine Meyer, founder of the British charity PACT. Unquote
Again some name-dropping (Pope and G 8 summit had already had a pat on the back) cunningly phrased but in effect he met the deputy of the Chief of Staff of the wife of the President and had a lightning tour of the public areas of the White House.
Gerry managed to mention the G8 summit in a TV interview and gives the impression they had taken note of the plight of the McCanns. He mentions a discussion with the Attorney General to advance legislation, but it that's all. He basically only spoke to the president of ICMEC and a few notables and he got into the White House because an ex-ambassador’s wife pulled a few strings.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This set of journeys together does give some indication where the government definitely did interfere (e.g. Home Office, credit cards, records) and helped (F.O. supplying a minder for the Eurotour, lending Clarrie, making connections with dignitaries to be visited) but on the whole they weren’t wholeheartedly behind the McCanns and their help was withdrawn at the earliest opportunity. That is help in promoting the McCanns, - under Brown the manipulation went on, but by that time it was more of a damage limitation exercise. Most of Brown's interference occurred after they became arguidos.
It seems obvious is that the press were losing interest by mid June and at the same time the Foreign Office had suggested that if the McCanns wanted media liaison they could pay for it themselves.
The charities stand out in this collection of players, principally Missing People – the yellow ribbons in Rothley, the relaunch on the same date that the McCanns announced their European Tour.
Which may well have been arranged with the F.O. during that visit which also produced the pool photo.
Blair was about to step down as PM and desperately keen to become European President. That may have been one factor in the unprecedented help given. Cherie Blair was a director of PACT, a charity which paid the directors more than the total income at one time but had always had European ambitions as evidenced by her interference regarding the Human Rights Act.
EU wanted to set up a complete DNA database of all EU citizens, still does as far as I know. An abducted photogenic toddler might have been just the catalyst the politicians needed.
But only by early June was political help being withdrawn, so it took a month for the doubts about the abduction to reach those with the power to take decisions - still Blair. Brown didn't take over until the end of June. Perhaps Whitehall finally understood the importance of those shutters or perhaps they'd finally looked at the very files they refused to send to the Police Judiciare: MBM's health records and the McCann's credit card records.
And by September Gordon Brown was not so easily brought into line - gone were the days when Gerry would phone Brown and leave a message to phone him back asap. From then on it seems he doesn't even want to speak to them, the glory days didn't last long.
From the Vanity Fair Interview, September 2007 published in February issue 2008:
........ they now feel deserted by the Prime Minister.
In the interview, Clarence Mitchell, the McCann’s spokesman, said: “...it is true that we have requested a meeting with the prime minister to show him the strength of our case, to explain Kate and Gerry’s innocence - and yet all we’ve been offered is a medium-level-consular meeting, which we rejected.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This link is well worth a read:
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id260.html
[size=13]'MAD COW' LEGISLATION' [size=10]02 November 2009[/size]
[/size]
By Dr Martin Roberts
Finding of Fact
• 14. FCO told the Commissioner that a family member had made clear to FCO staff that all comments made by that individual to FCO had been made in strict confidence and were not intended for disclosure to third parties. FCO did not approach the family member again during the Commissioner's investigation but told the Commissioner that they were confident the individual would not appreciate being contacted regarding disclosure of the relevant personal information, a position the Commissioner accepted.
unquote
____________________
PeterMac's FREE e-book
Gonçalo Amaral: The truth of the lie
CMOMM & MMRG Blog
MAGA 
MBGAA wise man once said:
"Be careful who you let on to your ship,
because some people will sink the whole ship
just because they can't be the Captain."
Jill Havern- Captain, Chief Faffer, Forum Owner
- Posts : 31117
Activity : 43931
Likes received : 7758
Join date : 2009-11-25
Location : Parallel universe -
Re: McCann case: OVERVIEW OF THE TOUR AND TRIPS HOME
by Guest 16.10.15 23:24
Gerry McCann reads messages in support for his daughter Madeleine McCann at the War memorial in Rothley Village Centre on May 21, 2007 in Rothley.
Guest- Guest
Re: McCann case: OVERVIEW OF THE TOUR AND TRIPS HOME
by PeterMac 17.10.15 9:33
THE JOURNEY BEGINS:
20th May: Gerry returns to the UK , he appears not to have seen any family, gets photographed in Rothley amongst yellow ribbons.
22nd May: Gerry returns with Clarence Mitchell – lent to him by the F.O.
22nd May: Philomena - wife of keen amateur astronomer and skilled and knowledgable photo manipulator - arrives in PdL
24th May Last photo released to the world’s Press. Mitchell very keen to emphasise the TIME on the Last Photo
20th May: Gerry returns to the UK , he appears not to have seen any family, gets photographed in Rothley amongst yellow ribbons.
22nd May: Gerry returns with Clarence Mitchell – lent to him by the F.O.
22nd May: Philomena - wife of keen amateur astronomer and skilled and knowledgable photo manipulator - arrives in PdL
24th May Last photo released to the world’s Press. Mitchell very keen to emphasise the TIME on the Last Photo
PeterMac- Investigator
- Posts : 13955
Activity : 16958
Likes received : 2075
Join date : 2010-12-06 -
Re: McCann case: OVERVIEW OF THE TOUR AND TRIPS HOME
by Guest 17.10.15 12:28
Gerry McCann's blog [which incidentally makes no mention of his lightning trip to the UK in May 2007] makes for some interesting reading - if anyone needs an insight into the mind of a potential sociopath. Examples such as..
Sunday 20th May 2007 [A day to day life for the McCanns]
9.30 am -12.15 pm. We return to the apartments, usually for a series of meetings with our press officer, Mark Warner Reps, occasionally Consulate staff, lawyers and British Liaison officers. During this time we catch up with family and close friends, usually by telephone and discuss ideas how to keep Madeleine’s profile high especially throughout continental Europe.
Thursday 24th May 2007 [2nd version]
Today Kate and I went to the Shrine at Fatima to pray for Madeleine´s safe return. It was another early start leaving at 6.30am. Mark Warner, who have looked after us so well, laid on a car and driver. We managed to continue the campaign with telephone conversations and e-mails. The actual visit was very encouraging with the rector and thousands of pilgrims praying for Madeleine as well Kate and I. We lit candles for Madeleine and also 3 for Madeleine’s grandparents.
The trip received a lot of publicity which should help maintain the profile of her abduction. We are planning a relatively quiet day tomoorow although the British Ambasador is coming to visit and we need to start finalising our plans for interviews in areas of Europe where the coverage of Madeleine’s disappaerance has been limited.
Saturday 26th May 2007
Yesterday was relatively quiet although we did meet the British ambassador and the senior British Police Officer who has been working here in Portugal on the case. This was a productive meeting.
Today was extremely busy and tiring. We met with our press officer Clarence Mitchell, to discuss strategy for the fortcoming interviews. Kate attended a luncheon in aid of International Missing Child day and John, my brother, attended a similar event in London. After this John and Brian Kennedy, Kate’s uncle, who are both directors of Madeleine’s fund appointed an interim fund manager. We are now actively looking for a campaign manager who will be needed once our government press officer disappears.
The interviews were our first for TV and we were happy how they went. We did 10 min interviews for Sky, BBC, ITV, Portuguese TV/radio and one for the press association. A shorter interview with GM TV will be shown on Monday morning along with stuff from our fabulous web team. The interviewers were very kind but did not shirk from asking us some extremely difficult questions. We answered them all and although painful will allow us to move on in our search for Madeleine.
Tomorrow will be a family day. We are doing a photo-shoot with the twins for the Sunday newspapers in the morning but will involve stuff that we want to do with them anyway. We also need to recharge our batteries after what has been a very busy week.
~~~~~~
So on and so forth! Geeez, rather than a desperate parent grieving for the loss of his little daughter, sounds more like he's pitching to host Expo 20??
ETA: http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/DAYS_1_to_50.htm
Sunday 20th May 2007 [A day to day life for the McCanns]
9.30 am -12.15 pm. We return to the apartments, usually for a series of meetings with our press officer, Mark Warner Reps, occasionally Consulate staff, lawyers and British Liaison officers. During this time we catch up with family and close friends, usually by telephone and discuss ideas how to keep Madeleine’s profile high especially throughout continental Europe.
Thursday 24th May 2007 [2nd version]
Today Kate and I went to the Shrine at Fatima to pray for Madeleine´s safe return. It was another early start leaving at 6.30am. Mark Warner, who have looked after us so well, laid on a car and driver. We managed to continue the campaign with telephone conversations and e-mails. The actual visit was very encouraging with the rector and thousands of pilgrims praying for Madeleine as well Kate and I. We lit candles for Madeleine and also 3 for Madeleine’s grandparents.
The trip received a lot of publicity which should help maintain the profile of her abduction. We are planning a relatively quiet day tomoorow although the British Ambasador is coming to visit and we need to start finalising our plans for interviews in areas of Europe where the coverage of Madeleine’s disappaerance has been limited.
Saturday 26th May 2007
Yesterday was relatively quiet although we did meet the British ambassador and the senior British Police Officer who has been working here in Portugal on the case. This was a productive meeting.
Today was extremely busy and tiring. We met with our press officer Clarence Mitchell, to discuss strategy for the fortcoming interviews. Kate attended a luncheon in aid of International Missing Child day and John, my brother, attended a similar event in London. After this John and Brian Kennedy, Kate’s uncle, who are both directors of Madeleine’s fund appointed an interim fund manager. We are now actively looking for a campaign manager who will be needed once our government press officer disappears.
The interviews were our first for TV and we were happy how they went. We did 10 min interviews for Sky, BBC, ITV, Portuguese TV/radio and one for the press association. A shorter interview with GM TV will be shown on Monday morning along with stuff from our fabulous web team. The interviewers were very kind but did not shirk from asking us some extremely difficult questions. We answered them all and although painful will allow us to move on in our search for Madeleine.
Tomorrow will be a family day. We are doing a photo-shoot with the twins for the Sunday newspapers in the morning but will involve stuff that we want to do with them anyway. We also need to recharge our batteries after what has been a very busy week.
~~~~~~
So on and so forth! Geeez, rather than a desperate parent grieving for the loss of his little daughter, sounds more like he's pitching to host Expo 20??
ETA: http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/DAYS_1_to_50.htm
Guest- Guest
Re: McCann case: OVERVIEW OF THE TOUR AND TRIPS HOME
by aiyoyo 17.10.15 15:32
Verdi wrote:
Gerry McCann reads messages in support for his daughter Madeleine McCann at the War memorial in Rothley Village Centre on May 21, 2007 in Rothley.
The image is reminiscence of flowers n cards etc tribute to victim of homicide or death by accident.
Usually tribute done with flowers n messages etc is placed at the scene where death occured or scene where body is found. For people to pay tribute in this manner they must have believed Madeleine is dead and can never be found, as it's not usual for people to use flower tribute for a findable living missing child.
aiyoyo- Posts : 9610
Activity : 10084
Likes received : 326
Join date : 2009-11-28
Re: McCann case: OVERVIEW OF THE TOUR AND TRIPS HOME
by Enid O'Dowd 17.10.15 16:56
Verdi, thank you for posting the extracts from Gerry’s blog.
I note this on Saturday May 26th:
‘Today was extremely busy and tiring. We met with our press officer Clarence Mitchell, to discuss strategy for the fortcoming interviews. Kate attended a luncheon in aid of International Missing Child day and John, my brother, attended a similar event in London. After this John and Brian Kennedy, Kate’s uncle, who are both directors of Madeleine’s fund appointed an interim fund manager (MY EMPHASIS). We are now actively looking for a campaign manager who will be needed once our government press officer disappears.’
Now the official Madeleine website always stated (and still does today Oct 17 2015) that
‘An experienced Fund Administrator has been appointed to ensure the highest standards of transparency and accountability. This should enable the Directors to maintain an appropriate governance distance in the day-to-day operations of the Fund.’
The report on the Fund I published at
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id405.html
covered in detail how the Fund was set up, examined the audited accounts up to 31 March 2011 and looked at, among many other issues, the mystery of the Fund administrator.
The audited accounts for some of the years of the company’s existence state there were no employees. While the website states that a Fund Administrator ‘has been appointed’ this person has never been named there, or named by the McCanns or named in the Directors’ report in the audited accounts and thanked for his/her work. Why would this official’s name be confidential?
How was this interim Fund manager appointed?
Did John McCann and Uncle Brian Kennedy ring up an agency and say send us a temp?
Did they put an advertisement in a national newspaper?
Or did they appoint someone they knew who was immediately available?
Did this interim manager become the permanent manager?
Why did no press releases go out announcing the appointment of the interim manager and then the permanent manager to reassure the public who were sending in lots of money that this ‘experienced’ person was in place, and among other tasks, recording and banking their donations and ensuring ‘the highest standards of transparency and accountability.’?
In my subsequent Report covering the year ended 31 March 2012
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id429.html
I discussed the issue further as a name had been suggested by several people who read my first report.
All I do know, after extensive research, is that there has never been any transparency about this Fund manager/administrator and there is doubt as to whether this person ever existed in the way the public was led to believe from the statement on the official website.
I note this on Saturday May 26th:
‘Today was extremely busy and tiring. We met with our press officer Clarence Mitchell, to discuss strategy for the fortcoming interviews. Kate attended a luncheon in aid of International Missing Child day and John, my brother, attended a similar event in London. After this John and Brian Kennedy, Kate’s uncle, who are both directors of Madeleine’s fund appointed an interim fund manager (MY EMPHASIS). We are now actively looking for a campaign manager who will be needed once our government press officer disappears.’
Now the official Madeleine website always stated (and still does today Oct 17 2015) that
‘An experienced Fund Administrator has been appointed to ensure the highest standards of transparency and accountability. This should enable the Directors to maintain an appropriate governance distance in the day-to-day operations of the Fund.’
The report on the Fund I published at
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id405.html
covered in detail how the Fund was set up, examined the audited accounts up to 31 March 2011 and looked at, among many other issues, the mystery of the Fund administrator.
The audited accounts for some of the years of the company’s existence state there were no employees. While the website states that a Fund Administrator ‘has been appointed’ this person has never been named there, or named by the McCanns or named in the Directors’ report in the audited accounts and thanked for his/her work. Why would this official’s name be confidential?
How was this interim Fund manager appointed?
Did John McCann and Uncle Brian Kennedy ring up an agency and say send us a temp?
Did they put an advertisement in a national newspaper?
Or did they appoint someone they knew who was immediately available?
Did this interim manager become the permanent manager?
Why did no press releases go out announcing the appointment of the interim manager and then the permanent manager to reassure the public who were sending in lots of money that this ‘experienced’ person was in place, and among other tasks, recording and banking their donations and ensuring ‘the highest standards of transparency and accountability.’?
In my subsequent Report covering the year ended 31 March 2012
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id429.html
I discussed the issue further as a name had been suggested by several people who read my first report.
All I do know, after extensive research, is that there has never been any transparency about this Fund manager/administrator and there is doubt as to whether this person ever existed in the way the public was led to believe from the statement on the official website.
____________________
Author of Fateful Decisions: there's a fine line between acceptable parenting and neglect. www.enidodowd.com
Author of A Review of the background to setting up the limited company Madeleine's Fund: leaving no Stone Unturned and a forensic examination of the company accounts. Available on www.mccannfiles.com
Enid O'Dowd- Researcher
- Posts : 107
Activity : 132
Likes received : 21
Join date : 2013-11-14 -
Re: McCann case: OVERVIEW OF THE TOUR AND TRIPS HOME
by joyce1938 17.10.15 17:25
Whow, how can this be? Enid knows what she is talking about, something smells here. joyce1938
joyce1938- Posts : 890
Activity : 1013
Likes received : 124
Join date : 2010-04-20
Age : 85
Location : england
Re: McCann case: OVERVIEW OF THE TOUR AND TRIPS HOME
by Guest 17.10.15 19:59
My thoughts exactly! + The war memorial - how very unsavoury. This is but three weeks after MBM was reported missing, yet the circus is more like a gigantic PR exercise than a tribute to a missing child. Who introduced the idea of a profusion of yellow ribbons - I really can't see the relevance - and why would the local community rally round to create a memorial for a missing child only three weeks after the event?aiyoyo wrote:Verdi wrote:
Gerry McCann reads messages in support for his daughter Madeleine McCann at the War memorial in Rothley Village Centre on May 21, 2007 in Rothley.
The image is reminiscence of flowers n cards etc tribute to victim of homicide or death by accident.
Usually tribute done with flowers n messages etc is placed at the scene where death occured or scene where body is found. For people to pay tribute in this manner they must have believed Madeleine is dead and can never be found, as it's not usual for people to use flower tribute for a findable living missing child.
The circumstances surrounding this case are so weird it's sometimes borderline sick!
Guest- Guest
MyBrainHurts- Posts : 16
Activity : 20
Likes received : 2
Join date : 2011-07-20
Re: McCann case: OVERVIEW OF THE TOUR AND TRIPS HOME
by Guest 17.10.15 21:48
Yes, that was running round my mind and still is! Rats - nauseating mawkish load of rubbish.. Nil points!MyBrainHurts wrote:
Still it's that or reference to the militia - either way totally inappropriate in my opinion. How did the residents of Rothley town know the score less than three weeks after MBM was reported missing? Almost as though they were in mourning.
Guest- Guest
Re: McCann case: OVERVIEW OF THE TOUR AND TRIPS HOME
by Guest 17.10.15 21:56
Amen to that!Enid O'Dowd wrote:Verdi, thank you for posting the extracts from Gerry’s blog.
I note this on Saturday May 26th:
‘Today was extremely busy and tiring. We met with our press officer Clarence Mitchell, to discuss strategy for the fortcoming interviews. Kate attended a luncheon in aid of International Missing Child day and John, my brother, attended a similar event in London. After this John and Brian Kennedy, Kate’s uncle, who are both directors of Madeleine’s fund appointed an interim fund manager (MY EMPHASIS). We are now actively looking for a campaign manager who will be needed once our government press officer disappears.’
Now the official Madeleine website always stated (and still does today Oct 17 2015) that
‘An experienced Fund Administrator has been appointed to ensure the highest standards of transparency and accountability. This should enable the Directors to maintain an appropriate governance distance in the day-to-day operations of the Fund.’
The report on the Fund I published at
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id405.html
covered in detail how the Fund was set up, examined the audited accounts up to 31 March 2011 and looked at, among many other issues, the mystery of the Fund administrator.
The audited accounts for some of the years of the company’s existence state there were no employees. While the website states that a Fund Administrator ‘has been appointed’ this person has never been named there, or named by the McCanns or named in the Directors’ report in the audited accounts and thanked for his/her work. Why would this official’s name be confidential?
How was this interim Fund manager appointed?
Did John McCann and Uncle Brian Kennedy ring up an agency and say send us a temp?
Did they put an advertisement in a national newspaper?
Or did they appoint someone they knew who was immediately available?
Did this interim manager become the permanent manager?
Why did no press releases go out announcing the appointment of the interim manager and then the permanent manager to reassure the public who were sending in lots of money that this ‘experienced’ person was in place, and among other tasks, recording and banking their donations and ensuring ‘the highest standards of transparency and accountability.’?
In my subsequent Report covering the year ended 31 March 2012
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id429.html
I discussed the issue further as a name had been suggested by several people who read my first report.
All I do know, after extensive research, is that there has never been any transparency about this Fund manager/administrator and there is doubt as to whether this person ever existed in the way the public was led to believe from the statement on the official website.
I take this opportunity to thank you for all your hard work in bringing together the complexity of the 'Official Find Madeleine Fund' [snort!], a nicely packaged readable analysis of all things fund related. If it wasn't for you guys where would people such as I be that lack the wherewithal!
Guest- Guest
Re: McCann case: OVERVIEW OF THE TOUR AND TRIPS HOME
by aiyoyo 18.10.15 1:48
Enid O'Dowd wrote:
The audited accounts for some of the years of the company’s existence state there were no employees. While the website states that a Fund Administrator ‘has been appointed’ this person has never been named there, or named by the McCanns or named in the Directors’ report in the audited accounts and thanked for his/her work. Why would this official’s name be confidential?
Two possible answers:
Fund manager/administrator was a volunteer, close family member or friend, working FOC, hence no imperative to state or list in the accounts.
or
The issue of liability and consequence is factor why fictional fund manager/administrator is not shown on audited accounts but shown on Website.
Website is entity copyrighted to the McCanns with no regulating body imposition to ensure integrity must be upheld. And, site being in their total control means info can be inserted or deleted with ease and at will if needed be. Whereas Audited Accounts must be signed for by at least one director as well as the auditor attesting to it being true and correct, and must be filed with official authorities ie company's house and IRAS. If discovered to contain false entry, there will be dire consequences for the signatories.
Hence, maybe that is a possible explanation why fictional Fund Manager was stated on their website to fool donors into giving in the belief their money won't be abused, and not stated in the Audited Accounts for reason above stated.
aiyoyo- Posts : 9610
Activity : 10084
Likes received : 326
Join date : 2009-11-28
Re: McCann case: OVERVIEW OF THE TOUR AND TRIPS HOME
by Enid O'Dowd 18.10.15 12:12
If the Fund manager/administrator was a family member/friend why not say so?
It makes sense to use the services of such a person if they are available, have appropriate skills and experience and will work on a voluntary basis. Getting this person for free means more money for searching.
While the Director’s reports in the various accounts never mentioned the name of a staff member, they did state that paid administrative assistance had been provided.
As I said in my earlier post, a name was suggested after my first report was published. The person named is apparently a friend of Dr Kate McCann and she stated on her LinkedIn page that she was the Campaign Manager of the Fund from March 2009 to August 2012. Below an extract from her LinkedIn page detailing the work she did:
March 2009 – August 2012 (3 years 6 months)Leicester
My Role has been Campaign Manager to the Madeleine Fund, established to help in the search for Madeleine McCann who has been missing since 2007 Duties include
• Liaising with and organising various groups of volunteers, to ensure projects are completed in a timely manner
• Managing the Find Madeleine Website and implementing new ideas
• Providing clerical and administrative support for The McCann’s
• Organising meetings, and follow up with reports/minutes
• Storing and maintaining information and compiling databases,
• Sort, prioritise and respond to incoming correspondence
• Stock control & fulfilment of internet orders
• Maintain financial records and bank all donations received
• Letter writing and mail merge
• Providing copy for press and internet releases.
• Conducting basic research
• Fundraising: I have been involved in the organisation of major events in aid of the Fund. These have included-
A schools auction of promises
One Thousand Days Event at the Roof Garden London
Large scale fund raisers in Leicester, Liverpool and Glasgow
A Golf Day at the Park Hill Golf Club, Seagrave, Leicestershire
Gerry’s blog 26 May 2007 stated that
‘we are actively looking for a campaign manager who will be needed once our government press officer disappears.’
‘Disappears’ is an odd word to use. Did he mean that he expected the government press office to vanish without trace like Madeleine?
And, why would the disappearance of a government press officer (whether in suspicious circumstances or merely withdrawn by the government ) involve the need to recruit a campaign manager?
I’m wondering who Dr McCann meant by the ‘government press officer’. Was it Sheree Dodd who was sent out by Tony Blair immediately after Madeleine vanished? I think Ms Dodd had already returned to the UK by the date of the blog May 26. Or did he mean Clarence Mitchell, who he refers to as ‘our press officer’, who was also there at that time?
Maybe the answer is simple. Perhaps Dr Gerry McCann is not good at writing clear English?
Clarence Mitchell did not disappear fortunately for the McCanns..
It appears there were meant to be 2 jobs – a Fund Manager and a Campaign Manager.
You would think that Dr Kate McCann would mention the work done by her friend in her book madeleine and thank her. After all she mentions other people and says positive things about them. Remember her words about two named employees of Carter Ruck , how they work away quietly behind the scenes and sometimes without charging?
If her friend was juggling her family commitments to work for free doing all those tasks listed in her LinkedIn CV, then the friend deserved to be mentioned. And the Directors in their report for the year she left should have mentioned her loyal service (whether it was paid or unpaid). Politeness costs nothing and can mean a lot to a person.
There are two other people Dr Kate McCann does not name in her book – the two legal people who flew out to meet her in Portugal over the weekend of May 10-13, 2007 (it would appear at their own expense) and who persuaded her to set up the Fund. She writes about them but does not name them. Strange?
It makes sense to use the services of such a person if they are available, have appropriate skills and experience and will work on a voluntary basis. Getting this person for free means more money for searching.
While the Director’s reports in the various accounts never mentioned the name of a staff member, they did state that paid administrative assistance had been provided.
As I said in my earlier post, a name was suggested after my first report was published. The person named is apparently a friend of Dr Kate McCann and she stated on her LinkedIn page that she was the Campaign Manager of the Fund from March 2009 to August 2012. Below an extract from her LinkedIn page detailing the work she did:
March 2009 – August 2012 (3 years 6 months)Leicester
My Role has been Campaign Manager to the Madeleine Fund, established to help in the search for Madeleine McCann who has been missing since 2007 Duties include
• Liaising with and organising various groups of volunteers, to ensure projects are completed in a timely manner
• Managing the Find Madeleine Website and implementing new ideas
• Providing clerical and administrative support for The McCann’s
• Organising meetings, and follow up with reports/minutes
• Storing and maintaining information and compiling databases,
• Sort, prioritise and respond to incoming correspondence
• Stock control & fulfilment of internet orders
• Maintain financial records and bank all donations received
• Letter writing and mail merge
• Providing copy for press and internet releases.
• Conducting basic research
• Fundraising: I have been involved in the organisation of major events in aid of the Fund. These have included-
A schools auction of promises
One Thousand Days Event at the Roof Garden London
Large scale fund raisers in Leicester, Liverpool and Glasgow
A Golf Day at the Park Hill Golf Club, Seagrave, Leicestershire
Gerry’s blog 26 May 2007 stated that
‘we are actively looking for a campaign manager who will be needed once our government press officer disappears.’
‘Disappears’ is an odd word to use. Did he mean that he expected the government press office to vanish without trace like Madeleine?
And, why would the disappearance of a government press officer (whether in suspicious circumstances or merely withdrawn by the government ) involve the need to recruit a campaign manager?
I’m wondering who Dr McCann meant by the ‘government press officer’. Was it Sheree Dodd who was sent out by Tony Blair immediately after Madeleine vanished? I think Ms Dodd had already returned to the UK by the date of the blog May 26. Or did he mean Clarence Mitchell, who he refers to as ‘our press officer’, who was also there at that time?
Maybe the answer is simple. Perhaps Dr Gerry McCann is not good at writing clear English?
Clarence Mitchell did not disappear fortunately for the McCanns..
It appears there were meant to be 2 jobs – a Fund Manager and a Campaign Manager.
You would think that Dr Kate McCann would mention the work done by her friend in her book madeleine and thank her. After all she mentions other people and says positive things about them. Remember her words about two named employees of Carter Ruck , how they work away quietly behind the scenes and sometimes without charging?
If her friend was juggling her family commitments to work for free doing all those tasks listed in her LinkedIn CV, then the friend deserved to be mentioned. And the Directors in their report for the year she left should have mentioned her loyal service (whether it was paid or unpaid). Politeness costs nothing and can mean a lot to a person.
There are two other people Dr Kate McCann does not name in her book – the two legal people who flew out to meet her in Portugal over the weekend of May 10-13, 2007 (it would appear at their own expense) and who persuaded her to set up the Fund. She writes about them but does not name them. Strange?
____________________
Author of Fateful Decisions: there's a fine line between acceptable parenting and neglect. www.enidodowd.com
Author of A Review of the background to setting up the limited company Madeleine's Fund: leaving no Stone Unturned and a forensic examination of the company accounts. Available on www.mccannfiles.com
Enid O'Dowd- Researcher
- Posts : 107
Activity : 132
Likes received : 21
Join date : 2013-11-14 -
Re: McCann case: OVERVIEW OF THE TOUR AND TRIPS HOME
by aiyoyo 18.10.15 13:25
Enid O'Dowd wrote:If the Fund manager/administrator was a family member/friend why not say so?
Deducing -
There is no legal obligation to name the person, but there is a moral obligation since it involves the management of donors money, but we know all about their moral fibre (lack of).
Perhaps this anonymous person is Kate herself or one of Gerry's sisters and they didn't want to divulge name for fear of perception that non-neutral-member cannot be objective. Or maybe it is a case of simple oversight. Who knows, but what is certain is they had never been and still aren't transparent regarding the spendings of the fund. The book keeping of the fund is another mystery of this case.
It makes sense to use the services of such a person if they are available, have appropriate skills and experience and will work on a voluntary basis. Getting this person for free means more money for searching.
While the Director’s reports in the various accounts never mentioned the name of a staff member, they did state that paid administrative assistance had been provided.
As I said in my earlier post, a name was suggested after my first report was published. The person named is apparently a friend of Dr Kate McCann and she stated on her LinkedIn page that she was the Campaign Manager of the Fund from March 2009 to August 2012. Below an extract from her LinkedIn page detailing the work she did:
March 2009 – August 2012 (3 years 6 months)Leicester
My Role has been Campaign Manager to the Madeleine Fund, established to help in the search for Madeleine McCann who has been missing since 2007 Duties include
• Liaising with and organising various groups of volunteers, to ensure projects are completed in a timely manner
• Managing the Find Madeleine Website and implementing new ideas
• Providing clerical and administrative support for The McCann’s
• Organising meetings, and follow up with reports/minutes
• Storing and maintaining information and compiling databases,
• Sort, prioritise and respond to incoming correspondence
• Stock control & fulfilment of internet orders
• Maintain financial records and bank all donations received
• Letter writing and mail merge
• Providing copy for press and internet releases.
• Conducting basic research
• Fundraising: I have been involved in the organisation of major events in aid of the Fund. These have included-
A schools auction of promises
One Thousand Days Event at the Roof Garden London
Large scale fund raisers in Leicester, Liverpool and Glasgow
A Golf Day at the Park Hill Golf Club, Seagrave, Leicestershire
Gerry’s blog 26 May 2007 stated that
‘we are actively looking for a campaign manager who will be needed once our government press officer disappears.’
‘Disappears’ is an odd word to use. Did he mean that he expected the government press office to vanish without trace like Madeleine?
And, why would the disappearance of a government press officer (whether in suspicious circumstances or merely withdrawn by the government ) involve the need to recruit a campaign manager?
It's all just Gerry's strategies to keep the fund high profile for money to keep coming in. Gerry was running thesearchfund campaign as if running a business and as if he's a corporate power guy that plans ahead to optimal revenues. His actions are not normal behavior of father of a missing child, showing no desperation to work with or push police to find her.
It was never about the search. Just look at the wordings of his blog-diary mentioning - meetings with UK ambassador, senior police officers, press release officer, lawyers, this that and the other, all with significant people to do with self preservations, nothing to do with search for Madeleine.
I’m wondering who Dr McCann meant by the ‘government press officer’. Was it Sheree Dodd who was sent out by Tony Blair immediately after Madeleine vanished? I think Ms Dodd had already returned to the UK by the date of the blog May 26. Or did he mean Clarence Mitchell, who he refers to as ‘our press officer’, who was also there at that time?
At the date of the diary entry CM was new on board, seconded to the Mcs by HO just a few days earlier. Educated guess here says maybe he didn't expect CM to have staying power. Or rather more pertinently he underestimated the PJ and didn't reckon they would name him arguido, hence the unexpected change of circumstance that entails continued involvement of CM and perhaps getting his neck deep in Gerry's shit that he cannot retreat without dire consequence.
Maybe the answer is simple. Perhaps Dr Gerry McCann is not good at writing clear English?
Clarence Mitchell did not disappear fortunately for the McCanns.
It appears there were meant to be 2 jobs – a Fund Manager and a Campaign Manager.
You would think that Dr Kate McCann would mention the work done by her friend in her book madeleine and thank her. After all she mentions other people and says positive things about them. Remember her words about two named employees of Carter Ruck , how they work away quietly behind the scenes and sometimes without charging?
If her friend was juggling her family commitments to work for free doing all those tasks listed in her LinkedIn CV, then the friend deserved to be mentioned. And the Directors in their report for the year she left should have mentioned her loyal service (whether it was paid or unpaid). Politeness costs nothing and can mean a lot to a person.
Had to be this person cannot be named without bringing complications and unwanted attention onto Kate. Management of the Fund ie bogus search is after all a very sensitive issue which can go horribly wrong for them so she must have deliberately being mindful where mentioning of Fund and/or personal friend or family member involvement in it is concerned.
Directors recruitment and resignation all had to be stated in the Audited Accounts mandated by Company's house requirement. Not mandatory to mention volunteer workers that come and go. Maybe Kate herself had been unpaid fund administrator at some point hence didn't see the need to include the info to avoid complications. If one volunteer is mentioned, it sets a precedence, then all volunteers without exception had to be mentioned.
That said, I recall reading they were paid rental for Fund office space @ Rothley, anyway I seem to remember some kind of payment made to them for service or as facility provider, not sure which. Maybe you can enlighten on that since you are savy in comprehending audit accounts.
There are two other people Dr Kate McCann does not name in her book – the two legal people who flew out to meet her in Portugal over the weekend of May 10-12, 2007 (it would appear at their own expense) and who persuaded her to set up the Fund. She writes about them but does not name them. Strange?
Could be fictional characters invented by them. Or could well be these anonymous twosome are the same ones that told them their parental skills were within reasonable/responsible bound (apparently/allegedly).
aiyoyo- Posts : 9610
Activity : 10084
Likes received : 326
Join date : 2009-11-28
Re: McCann case: OVERVIEW OF THE TOUR AND TRIPS HOME
by Enid O'Dowd 18.10.15 14:53
Hi aiyoyo. There are are a couple of paragraphs in your response to my post that are not in blue so it looks as if I wrote them. Could you amend please. Not that I disagree with what you say!
You are asking about possible rent charges etc. In the accounts there is an item 'administrative expenses' and we don't know what is included there. The amount was very large in the 2007/8 accounts £141,747 but in subsequent years the charge varied between £21,000 and £31,000. The kind of expenses that are normally included under Administration would include rent, rates,heating, telephone, stationery and could include salaries. While many small businesses are run from a room used as an office in the proprietor's private house and the appropriate costs would be charged in the accounts of that business, personally I don't think it would be appropriate to charge rent to the Fund for the use of a room in 'Rothley Towers.' I honestly have no idea whether a charge was made for rent. Would the auditors have queried it? Again I don't know. An auditor might take the view that as there were no outside shareholders (the Fund is a company limited by guarantee) the charging of rent by the McCanns given the inconvenience of losing a room in their house for the Fund's work was acceptable and would not have financial consequences for anyone else.
I agree with you that the content of Gerry's blogs that Verdi posted are quite inappropriate given the circumstances of grieving parents who had lost their daughter in mysterious circumstances. To be of any use to the search the blogs would need to be very carefully worded ie be clear, and give information that might be useful to anyone who wanted to help the search. It's not helping the search to tell the public how many important people you are meeting and how many press conferences you have called.
According to the book it was the unnamed barrister who made the comment about their parenting being acceptable. I do believe that some sort of legal meeting took place that weekend as a press release was issued relating to it I think on the evening of Sunday May 13 by the IFLG (international Family Law Group) with whom I understand one of the legal visitors to PDL was connected. And on May 15th the Fund was incorporated. The book did not explain why the legal pair thought the company was necessary and why it had to be opened so quickly.
You are asking about possible rent charges etc. In the accounts there is an item 'administrative expenses' and we don't know what is included there. The amount was very large in the 2007/8 accounts £141,747 but in subsequent years the charge varied between £21,000 and £31,000. The kind of expenses that are normally included under Administration would include rent, rates,heating, telephone, stationery and could include salaries. While many small businesses are run from a room used as an office in the proprietor's private house and the appropriate costs would be charged in the accounts of that business, personally I don't think it would be appropriate to charge rent to the Fund for the use of a room in 'Rothley Towers.' I honestly have no idea whether a charge was made for rent. Would the auditors have queried it? Again I don't know. An auditor might take the view that as there were no outside shareholders (the Fund is a company limited by guarantee) the charging of rent by the McCanns given the inconvenience of losing a room in their house for the Fund's work was acceptable and would not have financial consequences for anyone else.
I agree with you that the content of Gerry's blogs that Verdi posted are quite inappropriate given the circumstances of grieving parents who had lost their daughter in mysterious circumstances. To be of any use to the search the blogs would need to be very carefully worded ie be clear, and give information that might be useful to anyone who wanted to help the search. It's not helping the search to tell the public how many important people you are meeting and how many press conferences you have called.
According to the book it was the unnamed barrister who made the comment about their parenting being acceptable. I do believe that some sort of legal meeting took place that weekend as a press release was issued relating to it I think on the evening of Sunday May 13 by the IFLG (international Family Law Group) with whom I understand one of the legal visitors to PDL was connected. And on May 15th the Fund was incorporated. The book did not explain why the legal pair thought the company was necessary and why it had to be opened so quickly.
____________________
Author of Fateful Decisions: there's a fine line between acceptable parenting and neglect. www.enidodowd.com
Author of A Review of the background to setting up the limited company Madeleine's Fund: leaving no Stone Unturned and a forensic examination of the company accounts. Available on www.mccannfiles.com
Enid O'Dowd- Researcher
- Posts : 107
Activity : 132
Likes received : 21
Join date : 2013-11-14 -
Re: McCann case: OVERVIEW OF THE TOUR AND TRIPS HOME
by aiyoyo 18.10.15 16:22
Done, Enid O'Dowd.
The book is but one version of the truth, not the definitive wholesome Truth.
No one will ever know who mooted the Fund?
Was it the McCanns or the lawyer? No reason why lawyer would instigate them to start a fund so soon into the incident when Maddie could have been found any time.
Kate's tale does not add up.
The book is but one version of the truth, not the definitive wholesome Truth.
No one will ever know who mooted the Fund?
Was it the McCanns or the lawyer? No reason why lawyer would instigate them to start a fund so soon into the incident when Maddie could have been found any time.
Kate's tale does not add up.
aiyoyo- Posts : 9610
Activity : 10084
Likes received : 326
Join date : 2009-11-28
Re: McCann case: OVERVIEW OF THE TOUR AND TRIPS HOME
by aiyoyo 18.10.15 16:32
@tigger,
Thanks for brilliant work.
We don’t know where Gerry was, apart from Rothley, during that trip. However, he found Clarence and came back with the news that they would start a European ‘mission’.
Bit strange priority for a distressed father (allegedly) to be thinking of forging ahead in spear heading European mission for future returns when you'd think his prime concern should have been to work closely with Police to help find his find as quickly as possible as delays can be lost opportunity to recover a living child.
All their actions are odd, unless they knew, knew exactly what happened to her. And all those PR exercises are added on charades to the simulation of abduction.
aiyoyo- Posts : 9610
Activity : 10084
Likes received : 326
Join date : 2009-11-28
Re: McCann case: OVERVIEW OF THE TOUR AND TRIPS HOME
by Enid O'Dowd 18.10.15 17:36
aiyoyo wrote:
The book is but one version of the truth, not the definitive wholesome Truth.
No one will ever know who mooted the Fund?
Was it the McCanns or the lawyer? No reason why lawyer would instigate them to start a fund so soon into the incident when Maddie could have been found any time.
Kate's tale does not add up.
Kate McCann herself said that the book was a 'version of the truth' which is a most odd phrase. It is either the truth or it isn't! You surely can't have a version of the 'truth'. Maybe the McCanns define 'truth' differently to the rest of us.
Yes we may never know who mooted the Fund. I find it hard to believe the lawyers suggested it. Sometimes professionals may suggest something that is not strictly necessary but which may bring in more fees for them. For example I have seen accountants recommend incorporating a limited company for a one person small business where is not necessary and will involve more professional fees and bureaucracy for the client. I can't see more fees in this for the legal people who visited PDL (if they did).
The company was set up by a firm of solicitors who did not visit PDL. They were apparently contacted on Monday 14th May 2007 and asked to incorporate a limited company ASAP. They had to act fast as the press launch of the company was set for Wed May 16th. I have never understood why the launch was (apparently) set so soon after instructions were given to the solicitors. Documents I have under FOI do indicate that the solicitors did commence acting on the 14th May. While a company can be set up quickly using the express service provided by Company House, the deadline given to the solicitors did not allow for proper negotiation with the relevant body for charity status for the company. I wonder why!
Certainly Kate McCann's version of the truth (about the company) does not add up.
____________________
Author of Fateful Decisions: there's a fine line between acceptable parenting and neglect. www.enidodowd.com
Author of A Review of the background to setting up the limited company Madeleine's Fund: leaving no Stone Unturned and a forensic examination of the company accounts. Available on www.mccannfiles.com
Enid O'Dowd- Researcher
- Posts : 107
Activity : 132
Likes received : 21
Join date : 2013-11-14 -
Re: McCann case: OVERVIEW OF THE TOUR AND TRIPS HOME
by aiyoyo 18.10.15 18:24
Enid O'Dowd wrote:
Kate McCann herself said that the book was a 'version of the truth' which is a most odd phrase. It is either the truth or it isn't! You surely can't have a version of the 'truth'. Maybe the McCanns define 'truth' differently to the rest of us.
Yes we may never know who mooted the Fund. I find it hard to believe the lawyers suggested it. Sometimes professionals may suggest something that is not strictly necessary but which may bring in more fees for them. For example I have seen accountants recommend incorporating a limited company for a one person small business where is not necessary and will involve more professional fees and bureaucracy for the client. I can't see more fees in this for the legal people who visited PDL (if they did).
The company was set up by a firm of solicitors who did not visit PDL. They were apparently contacted on Monday 14th May 2007 and asked to incorporate a limited company ASAP. They had to act fast as the press launch of the company was set for Wed May 16th. I have never understood why the launch was (apparently) set so soon after instructions were given to the solicitors. Documents I have under FOI do indicate that the solicitors did commence acting on the 14th May. While a company can be set up quickly using the express service provided by Company House, the deadline given to the solicitors did not allow for proper negotiation with the relevant body for charity status for the company. I wonder why!
Certainly Kate McCann's version of the truth (about the company) does not add up.
While there exists unsrupulous business people that paddle their service or product not really suited or needed by clients I don't believe the lawyers suggested it for a simple reason had they did they would know the procedures and timeframe needed to get it all set up and no way would they have been left having to rush the job. In their shoes, any sane parent hoping to get back their child alive would be offended if lawyer were to suggest a fund set up less than 2 weeks into the disappearance on the premise they would be needing it for private search, already assuming police won't find her.
The fact that they coined it "fighting fund" au debut gives away their mindset that they knew they would have to sell up their equity unless donations come in quickly and if they were to net in handsomely they had to execute it quickly before the wind changes and people stop believing their version. I'd say it is a cunning move. Most missing children cases fund are set up by external third party on behalf of the family of victim, rarely by the family unless they are destitute and desperately in need and never at lightning speed. The Mcs adeptness at taking advantage of the situation makes you wonder if it was preplanned but I am inclined to believe the accident wasn't prepared but the after the fact deed covering their track actions were preplanned.
aiyoyo- Posts : 9610
Activity : 10084
Likes received : 326
Join date : 2009-11-28
Re: McCann case: OVERVIEW OF THE TOUR AND TRIPS HOME
by Guest 18.10.15 19:43
The McCanns hold a press conference and, for the first time, take questions from the media
8.00am, Monday 14 May 2007
Gerry: "Good morning.
Kate and I would like to make a short statement regarding three main issues.
We'd like to talk about the offers of support that we've had over the last few days, the role of the International Family Law Group, who were here over the weekend, and three, we'd like to talk about how we'd like to communicate with the media.
We will take two or three very short questions at the end of this statement but as you all understand we cannot talk about the investigation and I hope you understand that there are certain things that we are just not ready to talk about, at this time.
First of all, you know that we've taken tremendous strength from the warmth and the, errm, spiritual outpouring which we have received here and from all around the world and that has given us great encouragement and hope that we will bring back Madeleine safely.
More recently there have been multiple offers of different forms of help, including many financial pledges of people wishing to help Madeleine. We warmly welcome these offers but this created a problem for us in that how we were going to deal with it.
We have brought in our lawyers to help us decide how to best use these offers of support to help us find Madeleine.
Since the lawyers have come here we have visibly felt a burden being lifted from our shoulders because there's one less thing that we do not have to immediately think about and how we can coordinate them.
This has allowed us to concentrate more on our own physical and mental well-being. We do need to spend more time at this point considering oursleves, our family - who's Sean and Amelie - and contemplating about the situation that we were in.
We do, of course, wish to keep communicating with the media and we would like to thank you all, publicly, for the excellent job you have done to keep Madeleine's profile so high.
We believe, and have been advised, that this is essential in the search for her.
We would like all communications to continue through Alex, the Press Officer appointed by Mark Warner, who we believe have done an excellent job for us and the Mark Warner staff have looked after our every needs and making sure that that is the first priority."
Jane Hill (BBC): "Mr McCann, you're... "
Jeremy Thompson: "If I could ask you both, it's Jeremy Thompson from Sky News, we'd like to thank you for coming out and talking to us this morning. You talked about your physical and mental well-being, can I ask you both how you are feeling and how you're coping?"
Gerry: "It's obviously extremely difficult. We have had excellent help from a travel trauma... errr, consultant, who really has enabled us to utilise tools to help us look forward and direct... the emotions that we... that are negative and to try to put the speculation out of our heads and channel everything into looking forwards. And as far as we are concerned, until there is concrete evidence to the contrary we believe that Madeleine is safe and being looked after and that is how we can continue in our efforts."
Jane Hill (BBC): "Mr McCann, we're live on the BBC... Mr Mc... " (drowned out by 3/4 people asking questions at the same time)
Gerry: "One at a time please."
Jane Hill (BBC): "Oh, sorry."
Unidentified: "How long do you think you will stay here in Portugal?"
Gerry: "Kate?"
Kate: "I mean I... we can't even consider returning home at the moment. Absolutely, can't even let it enter my head... "
Gerry: "Take one more question... "
Jane Hill (BBC): "Errr, we're live on the BBC. You've spoken about not leaving any stone unturned. What are your concrete plans over the next few days and weeks?"
Gerry: "Obviously, you know, the thrust of the search for Madeleine is the investigation, which we are fully supporting. We have brought in the lawyers, really, to advise us what else can be done. I don't know what that is at the minute. You have seen that the family, and close friends back home, in contact with us, are doing everything that we feel in our power to keep the publicity high, and that has been our thrust and main actions at this time. We will have to consider that, with the experts advice, and taking advice from all the many different agencies that are involved and really that's why we can't do that on our own."
Jane Hill (BBC): "There's been some talk of bringing in... "
Gerry: "Last... last question... "
Jane Hill (BBC): "... private investigators... "
Gerry: "Pardon?" (to someone else)
Unidentified: "What do people back home in the UK do to help you?"
Gerry: "Well, I think that... I hope that... they have taken despair, which we were feeling, and partly from the strength that they have also received from us, when we've spoken to them, and they have really taken on what we have said, that we must look forward and turn thoughts into actions. And you can see from the many different things, all of the appeals, all of the... errm, poster initiatives etc. People distributing posters at international airports - that is thoughts being turned into action and really it's about publicising her disappearance. The experts will tell us any specifics.
That's all the questions we can take at this time... "
Jeremy Thompson: "Can I... Can I just ask you one more thing before...
Gerry: "Sorry, that's all we can take at the minute."
(Gerry and Kate walk away)
Jeremy Thompson: "I wondered if you had a message for the person who may be holding her?"
(Gerry and Kate continue walking away)
(mccannfiles.com)
8.00am, Monday 14 May 2007
Gerry: "Good morning.
Kate and I would like to make a short statement regarding three main issues.
We'd like to talk about the offers of support that we've had over the last few days, the role of the International Family Law Group, who were here over the weekend, and three, we'd like to talk about how we'd like to communicate with the media.
We will take two or three very short questions at the end of this statement but as you all understand we cannot talk about the investigation and I hope you understand that there are certain things that we are just not ready to talk about, at this time.
First of all, you know that we've taken tremendous strength from the warmth and the, errm, spiritual outpouring which we have received here and from all around the world and that has given us great encouragement and hope that we will bring back Madeleine safely.
More recently there have been multiple offers of different forms of help, including many financial pledges of people wishing to help Madeleine. We warmly welcome these offers but this created a problem for us in that how we were going to deal with it.
We have brought in our lawyers to help us decide how to best use these offers of support to help us find Madeleine.
Since the lawyers have come here we have visibly felt a burden being lifted from our shoulders because there's one less thing that we do not have to immediately think about and how we can coordinate them.
This has allowed us to concentrate more on our own physical and mental well-being. We do need to spend more time at this point considering oursleves, our family - who's Sean and Amelie - and contemplating about the situation that we were in.
We do, of course, wish to keep communicating with the media and we would like to thank you all, publicly, for the excellent job you have done to keep Madeleine's profile so high.
We believe, and have been advised, that this is essential in the search for her.
We would like all communications to continue through Alex, the Press Officer appointed by Mark Warner, who we believe have done an excellent job for us and the Mark Warner staff have looked after our every needs and making sure that that is the first priority."
Jane Hill (BBC): "Mr McCann, you're... "
Jeremy Thompson: "If I could ask you both, it's Jeremy Thompson from Sky News, we'd like to thank you for coming out and talking to us this morning. You talked about your physical and mental well-being, can I ask you both how you are feeling and how you're coping?"
Gerry: "It's obviously extremely difficult. We have had excellent help from a travel trauma... errr, consultant, who really has enabled us to utilise tools to help us look forward and direct... the emotions that we... that are negative and to try to put the speculation out of our heads and channel everything into looking forwards. And as far as we are concerned, until there is concrete evidence to the contrary we believe that Madeleine is safe and being looked after and that is how we can continue in our efforts."
Jane Hill (BBC): "Mr McCann, we're live on the BBC... Mr Mc... " (drowned out by 3/4 people asking questions at the same time)
Gerry: "One at a time please."
Jane Hill (BBC): "Oh, sorry."
Unidentified: "How long do you think you will stay here in Portugal?"
Gerry: "Kate?"
Kate: "I mean I... we can't even consider returning home at the moment. Absolutely, can't even let it enter my head... "
Gerry: "Take one more question... "
Jane Hill (BBC): "Errr, we're live on the BBC. You've spoken about not leaving any stone unturned. What are your concrete plans over the next few days and weeks?"
Gerry: "Obviously, you know, the thrust of the search for Madeleine is the investigation, which we are fully supporting. We have brought in the lawyers, really, to advise us what else can be done. I don't know what that is at the minute. You have seen that the family, and close friends back home, in contact with us, are doing everything that we feel in our power to keep the publicity high, and that has been our thrust and main actions at this time. We will have to consider that, with the experts advice, and taking advice from all the many different agencies that are involved and really that's why we can't do that on our own."
Jane Hill (BBC): "There's been some talk of bringing in... "
Gerry: "Last... last question... "
Jane Hill (BBC): "... private investigators... "
Gerry: "Pardon?" (to someone else)
Unidentified: "What do people back home in the UK do to help you?"
Gerry: "Well, I think that... I hope that... they have taken despair, which we were feeling, and partly from the strength that they have also received from us, when we've spoken to them, and they have really taken on what we have said, that we must look forward and turn thoughts into actions. And you can see from the many different things, all of the appeals, all of the... errm, poster initiatives etc. People distributing posters at international airports - that is thoughts being turned into action and really it's about publicising her disappearance. The experts will tell us any specifics.
That's all the questions we can take at this time... "
Jeremy Thompson: "Can I... Can I just ask you one more thing before...
Gerry: "Sorry, that's all we can take at the minute."
(Gerry and Kate walk away)
Jeremy Thompson: "I wondered if you had a message for the person who may be holding her?"
(Gerry and Kate continue walking away)
(mccannfiles.com)
Guest- Guest
Re: McCann case: OVERVIEW OF THE TOUR AND TRIPS HOME
by Guest 18.10.15 20:21
PUBLIC FUND TO AID MADELEINE HUNT BBC News - Monday 14th May 2007.
A "fighting fund" to which members of the public can donate to help in the search for missing Madeleine McCann is being set up by her family's lawyers.
The legal team, which has flown out to Portugal, will reveal details of the fund within the next few days.
The lawyers will help with liaison and will not interfere with the inquiry, Madeleine's uncle John McCann has said.
Rewards of £2.5m have been offered to anyone with information leading to the four-year-old's safe return.
Map of resort
Madeleine, from Rothley, Leicestershire, disappeared from an apartment in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz on 3 May.
A spokesman for the International Family Law Group, the legal company helping the McCanns, said: "Gerry and Kate are very grateful for all the support and generous offers of help that they are receiving.
"Details of how contributions can be made to help get Madeleine back to the safety of her own family will be made available in the next couple of days...."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6652611.stm
I've always been intrigued to know why the McCanns needed a fund to assist with the search and bringing Madeleine home safely when the case was being fully investigated by the PJ, apparently with the assistance of Leicester police. Perhaps months down the line or if and when an official investigation is shelved, then perhaps I could understand it, not however within days of a child's disappearance without a single indication of what may have happened to the missing child. I've also wondered if the general public were truly offering to hand over their hard earned cash in those very early days, or whether the establishment of the fund encouraged people to donate.
A fool and his money are easily parted, so they say but I for one wouldn't offer cash to support a crisis reported by the UK media without some total assurance that the case was genuine - even then I would still be reticent.
A "fighting fund" to which members of the public can donate to help in the search for missing Madeleine McCann is being set up by her family's lawyers.
The legal team, which has flown out to Portugal, will reveal details of the fund within the next few days.
The lawyers will help with liaison and will not interfere with the inquiry, Madeleine's uncle John McCann has said.
Rewards of £2.5m have been offered to anyone with information leading to the four-year-old's safe return.
Map of resort
Madeleine, from Rothley, Leicestershire, disappeared from an apartment in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz on 3 May.
A spokesman for the International Family Law Group, the legal company helping the McCanns, said: "Gerry and Kate are very grateful for all the support and generous offers of help that they are receiving.
"Details of how contributions can be made to help get Madeleine back to the safety of her own family will be made available in the next couple of days...."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6652611.stm
I've always been intrigued to know why the McCanns needed a fund to assist with the search and bringing Madeleine home safely when the case was being fully investigated by the PJ, apparently with the assistance of Leicester police. Perhaps months down the line or if and when an official investigation is shelved, then perhaps I could understand it, not however within days of a child's disappearance without a single indication of what may have happened to the missing child. I've also wondered if the general public were truly offering to hand over their hard earned cash in those very early days, or whether the establishment of the fund encouraged people to donate.
A fool and his money are easily parted, so they say but I for one wouldn't offer cash to support a crisis reported by the UK media without some total assurance that the case was genuine - even then I would still be reticent.
Guest- Guest
Similar topics» Home Office is withholding info on McCann case from SY
» E mail to the Home Secretary regarding Operation Grange and the Madeleine McCann case.
» A CRUEL mum left her three young children home alone - to go on shopping trips.
» This has all the ingredients...
» David Brinkman, 68, from Scotland, says the Madeleine McCann case made him look at child sexual abuse images - court case
» E mail to the Home Secretary regarding Operation Grange and the Madeleine McCann case.
» A CRUEL mum left her three young children home alone - to go on shopping trips.
» This has all the ingredients...
» David Brinkman, 68, from Scotland, says the Madeleine McCann case made him look at child sexual abuse images - court case
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
