New investigation in Portugal?

The Algarve holiday flat from which Madeleine McCann disappeared in 2007 is now a ‘mausoleum’, a neighbour said yesterday.

The two-bedroomed apartment in Praia da Luz was put on the market more than two years ago by the owner, a retired Liverpool teacher, but has not been sold and remains empty.

Madeleine was nearly four when she vanished while her parents dined with friends in a nearby restaurant.

The neighbour said: ‘The flat has never been used again since the little girl went missing.

‘The shutters have stayed down and it is more like a mausoleum than the happy holiday letting it once was.

‘I still remember the night she went missing and a young female Portuguese officer saying, “She must have just walked out – there has been no break-in and the doors were left unlocked”.’

Meanwhile a new private investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance has begun in Portugal.

It is being run by three British former police officers: Nigel Brown, who was named Investigator of the Year after securing the rescue of a kidnapped oil company executive, Dave Carter, who worked in Northern Ireland, and Ray Cooper, who investigated war crimes in Bosnia and gang murders in Trinidad and Tobago.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1317029/Madeleine-McCann-disappearance-flat-buyer-years-on.html?ito=feeds-newsxml#ixzz119WyuERK

Thanks Jill.

quote

Meanwhile a new private investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance has begun in Portugal.
It is being run by three British former police officers: Nigel Brown, who was named Investigator of the Year after securing the rescue of a kidnapped oil company executive, Dave Carter, who worked in Northern Ireland, and Ray Cooper, who investigated war crimes in Bosnia and gang murders in Trinidad and Tobago.


Who are these three? Are they working for the McCanns, it doesn't say so. So what's all this about then.


Know your investigators, say Nigel Brown, Chief Executive of GSS Global, and Tony Imossi, Managing Director of Solicitors’ Law Services.

Invariably the Private Investigators’ work is money loss related so it is right to concentrate on the issue of fraud for the purpose of assessing the situation as a service provider.

Fraud remains rampant throughout the world and the UK claims no immunity to this epidemic, which sits in organisations for many years ticking away like an unexploded bomb. Motivated by greed most frauds are committed by opportunists and thus whilst we are able to provide a preventative consultation service, inevitably frauds do occur and our investigative skills are required after such an unfortunate event. It is for this reason that companies such as GSS Global are emerging as specialist fraud investigators, with experience and knowledge of how to deal in the complex arena of pan international frontiers.

When investigating a fraud an Investigator is usually led to identifying money-laundering issues amid a catalogue of other misdemeanours. There are basically three routes that need immediate consideration:

•Criminal investigation by the appropriate areas of law enforcement.
•Civil action to attempt to contain the problem and/or pursue financial recovery.
•Further damage limitation (public relations).
Potential business does not surface because much of today’s major fraud (involving sums in excess of £750,000 or against the wider public) remains unreported due to several reasons including embarrassment and avoidance of a sudden loss of public confidence in the corporate victim.

Recovery for clientsAs Private Investigators our usual interest is in the civil litigation and recovery area, however, times are changing opening opportunities for the investigative industry not previously available. GSS Global actively promotes seminars and workshop on countering money laundering to assist clients. This type of approach helps clients to see the pro-active approach that the investigative industry can take.

A recent Home Office report estimated the cost of fraud at £13.8 billion a year. The Serious Fraud Office has remarked that fraud is commonly said to cost the public annually 17 times the amount lost through burglaries. Yet, the public law enforcement forces have been substantially reduced, currently 600 police fraud officers in England & Wales.

Outsourcing fraud investigations to the private sector is being considered, possibly a panel made up of recently retired fraud squad police officers. This is one of various possible solutions. There is a mood of greater co-operation between the public and private investigation sectors.

Privacy lawsThe most prohibitive legislation is that appertaining to privacy laws.

Tony Imossi, ABI President

“Legislation and changes brought about by the privacy laws have been turbulent in the UK, but history has shown time and time again how winners have emerged by taking bold steps to implement exciting new strategies”

Over the past few years, the public has become concerned with the ‘Big Brother’ threat by covert surveillance, intrusive surveillance and infringements on privacy and human rights - most of this concern was directed at the police, security services etc. As a result, a range of legislation followed to introduce control over such activities including:

•Data Protection Act
•Protection from Harassment Act (Primarily introduced to catch stalkers)
•Criminal Justice & Public Order Act (Made pre-text enquiries an imprisonable offence)
•Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act
•Human Rights Act
In the run up to the licensing of the security industry, in which Private Investigators are included (anticipated to be implemented in 2005 see www.PSIAct.org.uk) it is argued that ‘Licensed’ (and thus disciplined and trained) Investigators, duly Notified under the DPA should be afforded reasonable access to personal data. However, no privileges are expected to emerge from the licensing process.

The Data Protection concept was introduced to the UK by the Act in 1984. It has now taken a new and more serious meaning following a more Euro-wide co-ordinated Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA), which came into force in England & Wales in March 2000.

The Human Rights Act 2001, which brings this European 1952 concept, created in the aftermath of the outrages seen in WWII, into the English statute books, and the emerging judicial decisions too, threatens to have an adverse impact on the investigative methodology. This area of new law is as yet mostly untested and it is too early to identify with certainty long-term effects.

It is true that the enforcement of the privacy laws has shaken much of the investigative industry and this plus the considerable confusion in the judiciary because of The Human Rights legislation creates the need for a complete review of the industry. It is also true, however, that the more professional investigation agencies have adjusted their working practice to accommodate these restraints.

The UK investigative industry has taken the DPA issues very seriously and through the Association of British Investigators, a comprehensive DPA Best Practice Policy is being prepared for wider publication. It is anticipated that this policy, when approved by the authorities, will have a marked influence on the industry throughout Europe and beyond.

International instructionsOne of the principal problems with cross border transactions arises from the differences in methodology, availability of data in the public domain, expectations of service and usability of information and reports provided. Here we focus on one particular problem that results in loss of clients. The DPA dictates that cross border instructions be categorised as emerging from:

•Within the European Economic Community (EEC)
•Outside the EEC
Instructions from within the EEC causes no additional DPA problems and subject to overcoming the usual misunderstandings that arise between parties who speak different languages, the only issue that requires extra attention is the payment method and invoicing.

However, accepting instructions from a client who falls outside the EEC, which may require data on an individual being exported, requires a detailed and extremely complex Contract to be pre-signed by the parties. The Association of British Investigators does provide a sample Contract but the experience has been that clients requested to sign the document are put off by what is perceived as an unnecessary administrative burden and delay and move their business on to a less scrupulous.

Case historyGSS Global has dealt with many international frauds, where hundreds of millions of dollars are either defrauded or laundered. The greatest difficulty is always trying to identify exactly where the losers are located, and if the law enforcement agency in that region would or could assist.

One also needs to understand that just because a client has been ‘used’ by a disgruntled employee or indeed a fraudster to launder money, they may not have lost financially. In fact, in a recent case our client actually gained financially from a money laundering operation that had taken place within their company. Laundering money is not always turning ‘bad’ money into good, but also good money into bad.

Unless the investigator is capable and knowledgeable of dealing in multiple jurisdictions, it could be extremely hazardous and ultimately costly to take on an instruction. Where we (GSS Global) have taken on instructions from other investigation agencies, often the agency has made the client promises or proposals that are realistic in their jurisdiction but impossible and sometimes even illegal in others.

How then does the initiating agency ‘back track’ into...“I made a mistake” or “well we actually can not do this”.

QualificationThe security industry as a whole is currently being processed for Government licensing and will come under control of the newly appointed Security Industry Authority (SIA). Until such time as licensing is implemented there are no statutory educational qualification requirements.

The SIA, with whom we enjoy a close relationship through our membership of the Association of British Investigators, has strongly indicated that the criteria to be implemented will cover two areas:

•Fit and proper evaluation
•Competency
Fit and proper evaluation is expected to be a clear criminal record having regard to relevancy and recency.

In the meantime clients should as a minimum due diligence check the following before engaging any English Private Investigator:

•DPA - Private Investigators should be Notified with the Information Commissioner as Data Controllers under the Data Protection Act 1998. This can be checked by name, address or notification number on www.dpr.gov.uk/search.html
•Consumer Credit Licence - It is normal that an Investigator’s activities will involve accessing information, which will require a licence from the Office of Fair Trading. A search of the Consumer Credit Register can be made by telephone on 020 7211 8608.
There are a number of voluntary qualifications available but the best safeguard clients have as to the integrity of the Investigators is to ensure they are members of a widely recognise association such as the Association of British Investigators (ABI). In addition to having a Code of Practice and Disciplinary Procedure the ABI does have in place a fit and proper evaluation, competency assessment, and it ensures that all its members are compliant with statutory requirements. To verify an Investigator’s membership access www.theABI.org.uk or telephone 01253 297 502.

American differencesNorth American agencies have had access to information easy for many years, and they have come to expect this information on ‘tap’ from others. The cultural differences between the two sides of the Atlantic are huge and often under estimated.

European agencies have developed imaginative and innovative ways of collecting information that is legal and accurate. This same piece of information is available to US agencies at a press of a button and sometimes at minimal cost.

There is also a lack of international understanding, which sometimes is so enormous that it is difficult for some to comprehend. A case of a US company with operations all over the world is a good example. The head of security simply could not understand why it was not easily possible to have a central control room, in Europe with a simple security guard speaking all the languages of Europe. Furthermore, he wanted the security guard to call up the local police in each country, if there was an alarm and ‘tell’ them to attend the site. Can you imagine, an English security guard, calling the local police in Frankfurt and demanding that they attend premises - in English of course.

Another case involved a senior security professional arriving at Heathrow airport in mid January with nothing but a light jacket and thin cotton trousers and hand luggage. “Do you know where we are going tomorrow?” asked the investigator. “Yes” answered the US security professional, “somewhere called Stockholm, it’s just across the border on the map”

New trendsThe greatest influence on all commerce must be the advances in information technology. As Information is the product with which a Private Investigator does business it follows that IT has a huge impact in the availability of data, speed of access and processing, detection and tracking methods, and of course communications. This is simply demonstrated by the availability in recent times of the UK electoral register (some 46 million individuals) being accessible on one PC programme, thus enabling a search by name, address, family groups, or any part of each. Similar programmes exist for Companies House records, which goes as far as enabling a search to be made by date of birth only. Needless to state such databases are under severe attack from the Information Commissioner who is succeeding in putting the register that make up the databases out of reach.

I am sure it will turn out to be the McCann's people behind this.

It seems he has moved on to
Nigel Brown

Business lines
BTG Global Risk Partners


Specialisms


Nigel has more than 28 years experience in corporate security, protection, investigations and law enforcement, most recently as Senior Managing Director of GardaWorld's Consulting and Investigations Division.

Previous to his position with GardaWorld, Nigel was co-founder and CEO of GSS Global, a leading European risk consulting firm. There he specialised in internal controls and compliance, banking safeguards, security systems engineering, executive protection and threat mitigation, white collar crime, due diligence, employee screening and IT investigations.

Nigel joined BTG Global Risk Partners in 2009 and will lead the globalisation of the business, focusing initially on Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), followed by Asia and Asia Pacific.

http://www.begbies-traynorgroup.com/our-people/nigel-brown_727-full.aspx


Here's link to website for BTG

www.btg-globalriskpartners.com

Cheshire Cat wrote:I am sure it will turn out to be the McCann's people behind this.

I agree CC. No doubt an exercise to counter the conclusions of GA and his team of detectives!

Cheshire Cat wrote:I am sure it will turn out to be the McCann's people behind this.

But how do the McCanns manage to find so many ex policemen who are willing to carry on with this fraud?

Irish Eyes wrote:

Cheshire Cat wrote:I am sure it will turn out to be the McCann's people behind this.

But how do the McCanns manage to find so many ex policemen who are willing to carry on with this fraud?

The same way they got Clarence Mitchell and Brian Kennedy..... dubious connections!

What about Edgar and Cowley? Have they been given the heave-ho. They can't be paying for two lots of dicks can they? Perhaps this was why the directors had a fall out and left.

Perhaps these corrupt ex coppers are finally going to search the lawless villages?

Edgar and Cowley are out of the picture I imagine..... called upon once in a great while to make it appear the wheels are still turning.

The pre-determined conclusion to the investigation by an alleged crack team is no doubt TM's end game.

Well the £450,000 left in the fund isn't going to last long paying 2 lots of private detectives. I can't see their backers forking out for this perpetually either. I am still to be convinced that it is the McCanns that have instigated this.

Maybe Dave and Arthur decided they'd had enough of being made to look like blithering idiots in public.
(Even if they are blithering idiots).

This next lot had better brace themselves for a similar fate, having to sit next to Clarence on telly, holding up pictures of hilariously funny-looking suspects and trying desperately to fake sincerity.

candyfloss wrote:Well the £450,000 left in the fund isn't going to last long paying 2 lots of private detectives. I can't see their backers forking out for this perpetually either. I am still to be convinced that it is the McCanns that have instigated this.

Perhaps this latest assistance is being done by stealth, in order to hand the McCanns a form of exoneration they have failed so miserably to achieve for themselves...... an end game, so they may at last sail off into the crooked sunset?

It's strange that the news about this has been added at the last paragraph, and we have a non-story leading the article. Normally this would have been headline news, CM announcing the brand new shiny PI's etc. Let's hope someone does some digging and finds out what this is about. Interesting someone has mentioned elsewhere, that at one time Mr Amaral was working with British detectives on this, and I seem to remember this to be the case, I'm sure I read that somewhere.

Some time ago, Goncalo Amaral said he had a team of detectives investigating what happened to Madeleine. I thought with the trial coming up, TM may be trying to counteract those conclusions.

Certainly TM's former detectives have ALL achieved a very dodgy status, notwithstanding Edgar and Cowley who have become a joke with their lazy, inexperienced approach. So to do a new 'investigation' right it would be far more beneficial to TM if it appeared to be independent and unbiased.

Having said that, I would dearly love this to be the real deal!!!

Meanwhile a new private investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance has begun in Portugal.

Well, the old pair must have been sacked and are now history!

A trio now! new and private? in portugal?
The PJ's territory, did the trio have permission to be investigating on Portugal soil?
Would they be considered legal? Can their findings be regarded legally acceptable by law?

If not, what's the whole point?

Former coordinator reveals that Portuguese, Spanish, English and Germans are working with him

by Alexandra Serôdio

A group of former policemen from Portugal and other countries, which includes Gonçalo Amaral, is investigating the Maddie case at their own expenses.

The former Judiciária coordinator told JN that the result will be communicated to the Attorney General.

Restlessness and curiosity were heavy and the bitter taste of a “precocious and political” archiving left them “brooding” on a solution. The words are from Gonçalo Amaral – the first head of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann – who reveals that the group of investigators, that is made up by Portuguese, Spanish, English and Germans, wants to “know the truth”.

“We have been talking, exchanging ideas, trying to understand what happened, discussing possibilities and thinking about the entire process”, the former coordinator of the Polícia Judiciária’s Criminal Investigation Department in Portimão reveals. Despite refusing to reveal what is being done on the field and in what form, he asserts that “this investigation is not to arrange for evidence against the McCann couple”.

“We want to contribute for the truth to be known and in that way, for justice to be made. If there are guilty people, they must stand before justice. This is a right that assists any citizen in this country, to fight for justice to be done in every case”, Gonçalo Amaral sustained, stressing that “it’s not only the courts, the policemen and the judges that fight for justice, anyone can do it”.

Asserting that this investigation does “not intend to persecute anyone”, the former coordinator stresses the need to understand “what could have been done back then and what can be done now”. Always in an attempt to “find the truth and to understand what really happened to Madeleine”. Opting not to reveal major details, Gonçalo Amaral says that the group is made of retired policemen, who investigate “at their own expenses” and “without the use of funds”.

What is established will then be put into a “well based document” that will be delivered to the Attorney General, with the request to reopen the process that has been archived since July 21, 2007.

“The criminal investigation was abruptly interrupted, before it even got halfway. There is still a lot to be investigated that may even lead nowhere, but it may lead to other paths and to the truth”, the former coordinator advances, asking for “political courage” to those who have the power to “reopen the process”.

“If the Attorney General’s mailbox was flooded with, for example, three million requests to reopen the process, I believe the case might be reopened”, the investigator stated.


source: Jornal de Notícias, 30.04.2009

[quote]

The neighbour said: ‘The flat has never been used again since the little girl went missing.

‘The shutters have stayed down and it is more like a mausoleum than the happy holiday letting it once was.

Didn't we have reports that the apaprtment had been let soon after and that the PJ had bungled it by allowing it to be rented out, losing valuable forensics etc. I seem to remember someone on the TV, it may have been in one of the documentary's babbling on about how the English police would have bought this apartment to be able to use it for forensics as a crime scene etc. I remember thinking at the time how much money that would cost to buy a house or apartment etc. Did anyone see this? Anyway it seems now this was a load of old bull as usual, more ammo to throw at the PJ, because the neighbour would certainly be the one to know wether or not this apartment had been occupied, and it seems it stayed empty.

@ shnikeys Thanks for that, I knew I had seen it somewhere

http://www.thesargeants.net/dblog/pubblicazioni.asp?d=20101002

Nigel Brown: New McCann PI has links to Mossad. and Isreal

The word 'mausoleum' leaps out at me in this article.
Mausoleum - wikepedia
A mausoleum[1] is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the mausoleum. A Christian mausoleum sometimes includes a chapel.

You would have thought the news of a new investigation would have been the central point of this article but, strangely, it was tagged on at the end in a rather dismissive way.

This doesn't look to me like a pro- McCann article and wonder who has given the Daily Mail this information - lets not forget, it was the Daily Mail which ran an excellent 2 page article about Dave Edgar and Arthur Cowley about a year ago.

[quote="candyfloss"]

The neighbour said: ‘The flat has never been used again since the little girl went missing.

‘The shutters have stayed down and it is more like a mausoleum than the happy holiday letting it once was.

Didn't we have reports that the apaprtment had been let soon after and that the PJ had bungled it by allowing it to be rented out, losing valuable forensics etc. I seem to remember someone on the TV, it may have been in one of the documentary's babbling on about how the English police would have bought this apartment to be able to use it for forensics as a crime scene etc. I remember thinking at the time how much money that would cost to buy a house or apartment etc. Did anyone see this? Anyway it seems now this was a load of old bull as usual, more ammo to throw at the PJ, because the neighbour would certainly be the one to know wether or not this apartment had been occupied, and it seems it stayed empty.

I didnt realise the owner with bearing same surname as the mccanns is from liverpool.

Yes, Candyfloss I remember reading the apt was rented out post Maddie, but only once, then for some reasons there was a u-turn to letting it, then re seized in order to preserve evidence (too late of course) and never let out again. But of course it could have been a spin put out my team mccanns.

I

jkh wrote:
The Algarve holiday flat from which Madeleine McCann disappeared in 2007 is now a ‘mausoleum’, a neighbour said yesterday.

The two-bedroomed apartment in Praia da Luz was put on the market more than two years ago by the owner, a retired Liverpool teacher, but has not been sold and remains empty.

Madeleine was nearly four when she vanished while her parents dined with friends in a nearby restaurant.

The neighbour said: ‘The flat has never been used again since the little girl went missing.

‘The shutters have stayed down and it is more like a mausoleum than the happy holiday letting it once was.

‘I still remember the night she went missing and a young female Portuguese officer saying, “She must have just walked out – there has been no break-in and the doors were left unlocked”.’

Meanwhile a new private investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance has begun in Portugal.

It is being run by three British former police officers: Nigel Brown, who was named Investigator of the Year after securing the rescue of a kidnapped oil company executive, Dave Carter, who worked in Northern Ireland, and Ray Cooper, who investigated war crimes in Bosnia and gang murders in Trinidad and Tobago.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1317029/Madeleine-McCann-disappearance-flat-buyer-years-on.html?ito=feeds-newsxml#ixzz119WyuERK

I am pleased the Mail has the guts to print the comment about "no break in" .

I strongly suspect this is the work of Team McCann:
Dave Carter - Northern Ireland
Nigel Brown - rescued someone from a kidnapping
My immediate thoughts are that all the Police Forces in the UK of told the McCann's to get lost and so this is plan B. Jim Gamble might have soomething to do with it though.

Hope I am wrong!

Perhaps this is the beginning of a new strategy which tries to lull is into that same false sense of security we only find when Mitchell is not providing the propaganda.

candyfloss wrote:What about Edgar and Cowley? Have they been given the heave-ho. They can't be paying for two lots of dicks can they? Perhaps this was why the directors had a fall out and left.

I suspect Dave Edgar did find a shred of evidence

kangdang wrote:

candyfloss wrote:What about Edgar and Cowley? Have they been given the heave-ho. They can't be paying for two lots of dicks can they? Perhaps this was why the directors had a fall out and left.

I suspect Dave Edgar did find a shred of evidence

It seems Missing Madeleine Portal's 'hobnob' made the following comment on the OP Daily Mail article

Letters were handed in to No. 10 Downing Street, the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice and the Portuguese Embassy today requesting a complete review of the case. The most shocking thing is that this request was not submitted by the McCanns, rather it was submitted by a group of hard working individuals seeking to learn the fate of missing Madeleine.

The McCanns it seems are way to busy pursuing their libel claim against the Portuguese detective who searched for their missing daughter...shrugs.
- BRADFORD, LONDON, 3/10/2010 0:22

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1317029/Madeleine-McCann-disappearance-flat-buyer-years-on.html#comments#ixzz11Gg61KZN

I have to say I am surprised that the DM published this comment, good on them

ETA link http://missingmadeleine.forumotion.net/main-maddie-thread-latest-news-f1/madeleine-mccann-disappearance-flat-still-has-no-buyer-after-two-years-t12368-30.htm

kangdang wrote:It seems Missing Madeleine Portal's 'hobnob' made the following comment on the OP Daily Mail article

Letters were handed in to No. 10 Downing Street, the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice and the Portuguese Embassy today requesting a complete review of the case. The most shocking thing is that this request was not submitted by the McCanns, rather it was submitted by a group of hard working individuals seeking to learn the fate of missing Madeleine.

The McCanns it seems are way to busy pursuing their libel claim against the Portuguese detective who searched for their missing daughter...shrugs.
- BRADFORD, LONDON, 3/10/2010 0:22

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1317029/Madeleine-McCann-disappearance-flat-buyer-years-on.html#comments#ixzz11Gg61KZN

I have to say I am surprised that the DM published this comment, good on them

ETA link http://missingmadeleine.forumotion.net/main-maddie-thread-latest-news-f1/madeleine-mccann-disappearance-flat-still-has-no-buyer-after-two-years-t12368-30.htm

Dont speak too soon, before the next shift come on and censor that!

O/T
BTW, I've just finished the book 'No Expenses Spared' by Robert Winnett and Gordon Rayner,
exposing the MPs expenses. If not for the FOI Act mooted in 2000, and put in force in 2005, none of us would be any wiser. Investigative journalism into this started 4 years ago, ironicially by a journalist who's dual citizen of america-uk, by starting with USA then progressing to UK. Later few more journalists were onto the bandwagon all using the FOI Act to request access for info; culminating into today's result. If it wasnt for FOI Act, this exposure on shameful MPs would not have been possible and taxypayers would be milked dry and still be kept in the dark.

The process leading to the exposure is interesting to read as well as infuriating when I leart that MPs put on their expenses such thing as ' a 5p carrier bag, a jar of Branston pickle, a kit kat bar. One even put in a phone bill for a single penny! Beggars belief really.

I was stunned to read that Jack Straw cheated on council tax , paying half-rate on second home, but claiming full rate on taxpayers, which he reimbursed back later putting it down to bad accounting skills. That's not the point. If he wasnt alerted to journalists digging into their expenses, and If it wasn't for a failed bill certain MPs tried to pass to exempt MPs from FOI Act, God only know how severely these dishonest policitians are going to fleece taxpayers. Some hushand and wife MPs team even claimed twice for the same thing!

Those dishonest MPs should all be sacked, They are the people who legislate the laws and supposed to lead by examples but they are the ones destroying the right values which should form the fabric of society.

I definitely recommend this book.

We have this input from Himself

http://goodqualitywristbands.blogspot.com/2010/10/mccanns-new-private-investigation-will.html