Dramatic Fall in McCann Donations

Madeleine McCann

donations dramatically fell in just one yearExclusive by Tom Pettifor 1/02/2010


Donations to the Find Madeleine McCann fund fell from almost £2million to £650,000 in just one year, it was revealed yesterday.

Only cash received in libel payouts to friends of Gerry and Kate McCann – dubbed the Tapas Seven – enabled the search for their daughter to go on, latest accounts show.

Around £260 an hour flooded into the Fund as a wave of public sympathy swept the UK after Maddie’s abduction in Praia da Luz in the Algarve in May, 2007,

It had £1.4million in bank donations alone in the first ten months of the search.

But contributions fell away after the McCanns became one-time suspects. And the Fund’s income dropped to £629,181 in the year up to
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Altogether now.....Awwwwwwwwwwwww

It can only get worst.

I'm surprised they actually get any donations. People tend to either have a charity that they donate to on a regular , or knee-jerk donate to current events.

vaguely1 wrote:I'm surprised they actually get any donations. People tend to either have a charity that they donate to on a regular , or knee-jerk donate to current events.

I'm gobsmacked that they still get donations. Are people mad? Who in their right mind would still believe this couple.

I would ask anyone who has any spare cash to donate to either Haiti or to a childrens cancer charity rather than to fund 2 doctors to take the only person who has looked for their daughter to court.

simplyme wrote:I would ask anyone who has any spare cash to donate to either Haiti or to a childrens cancer charity rather than to fund 2 doctors to take the only person who has looked for their daughter to court.

Absolutely spot on!

A reminder of how the McCanns broke their promise not to use money donated to the Fund to pay their Legal Expenses.

Daily Mail 12th Sep 2007

McCanns: 'We won't use Madeleine fund to pay for legal costs'By DAN NEWLING and NEIL SEARS
Last updated at 23:55 12 September 2007

Add to My Stories Esther McVey: On the board deciding what will happen to Madeleine's fund
The McCanns will not use the Find Madeleine fund to pay their potentially crippling legal fees.
The couple announced their decision before yesterday's meeting of the fund's trustees, which agreed not to dip into the donations topping £1million to foot lawyers' bills.
This could leave the couple in financial difficulties, but it avoids accusations that the fund, set up to help find Madeleine, is being misspent.
Following the announcement that the McCanns are official suspects in the case,some fund contributors are understood to have asked for their money back.
Yesterday the family's spokesman David Hughes said: "Gerry and Kate are not seeking any money from the fund for any legal costs.
"Their view is that if they take money from the fund it might be that 90 per cent of people who made donations aren't bothered about it.

"But if 10 per cent of people are bothered about it, they don't want to upset them."
Since their arrival back in Britain the couple have employed Michael Caplan QC to work on their case.

He is one of the most expensive solicitors in the country and although he has refused to say how much, if anything, he is charging the McCanns, he can charge upwards of £700 an hour.
Scroll down for more...

Top QC: Michael Caplan charges up to £700 an hour
Read more...
'Find Madeleine's body and prove we killed her': McCanns' challenge to police
The McCanns' Portuguese lawyer Carlos Pinto de Abreu is estimated to cost around £200 an hour.
A legal battle spanning two countries could result in bills running into hundreds of thousands of pounds.
These potential costs raise the possibility that the McCanns, although well-paid doctors, could be left bankrupt by a fight to clear their names.
As a part-time locum GP working three days a week, Kate McCann earns around £45,000 a year.
Gerry McCann's salary as a consultant cardiologist is estimated to be around £75,000.
Scroll down for more...

Decision: The McCanns may use the Find Madeleine fund to fight their case
However, since they both took unpaid leave from their jobs after Madeleine's disappearance in May, they have no money coming in.
They are also thought to have a significant mortgage on their detached four-bedroom home, which they bought for £460,000 in January last year.
A source close to the McCanns suggested that the couple may now set up a separate fighting fund to pay their legal costs.

I'm confused, where does it say that the money is coming from the fund?

Despite their pledge to not use donations to the Fund to pay their legal bills, that is how much of the Fund money has been spent.

It doesn't say in there that it came from the fun does it? Sorry, am I missing something?

The OP article is dated 12th Sep 2007, before the McCanns had run up huge legal costs. The McCanns announced, before a meeting of the Fund Trustees, that the Fund would not be used to pay their legal expenses. Point is, that is exactly what the Fund has been used for.

Where do you find this out from? Is there a link to their financial report?

ty.

From the Mccannfiles


http://www.mccannfiles.com/id205.html


Financial Report and how it was reported in the newspapers.


Where the £2m you gave to find Madeleine McCann has gone Daily Mail

By VANESSA ALLEN
Last updated at 12:23 AM on 29th January 2009

The fund set up to help find Madeleine McCann raised almost £2million in the first ten months after she vanished, it was revealed yesterday.

The wave of shock and public sympathy that swept Britain after her suspected abduction led supporters to donate money at a rate of almost £260 an hour.

Accounts lodged with Companies House show the fund received £1.4million in bank donations, another £391,000 over the internet and £64,000 from the sale of T-shirts and wristbands.

In total, it received £1.85million in its first ten months and earned £33,424 in interest. It spent £815,113 on the search for Madeleine in that time.

This included £26,000 to fund the purchase of merchandise and £250,000 on the fees for private investigators.

But the accounts – which have been made public for the first time – have been published with a warning that donations had gone on to fall dramatically and were now 'significantly lower' than in the immediate aftermath of the three-year old's disappearance in Portugal in 2007.

Support for her parents – Kate and Gerry – was rocked when Portuguese police named them as suspects, and when it emerged they had used public donations to pay two £2,000 instalments on their mortgage.

Madeleine vanished from a holiday flat in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007, while her parents ate dinner at a nearby restaurant with friends.

The accounts provide a fascinating insight into the surge of support the family received, but also the costs of their worldwide campaign to find their child.

The fund's biggest expense in the first ten months was £250,000 spent on private investigators hired to try to find her, including the Spanish agency Metodo 3.

Agency boss Francisco Marco boasted he would find Madeleine within three months, but his 'leads' seemingly came to nothing and the firm is no longer involved with the hunt.

The fund spent £123,573 on campaign management, which is believed to include the salary of the McCanns' temporary spokesman Justine McGuinness and the fees of a PR agency.

A later spokesman, former BBC journalist Clarence Mitchell, had his salary paid by one of the couple's wealthy benefactors.

The fund spent £111,522 on legal fees and expenses and £81,904 on posters and television and newspaper adverts appealing for information about Madeleine. Mr and Mrs McCann, both 40, set up the fund in May 2007.

Legal restrictions meant it could not be set up as a charity, so it is run as a not-for-profit company by a board made up of McCann friends, colleagues and relatives.

Mr McCann's brother John is its chairman and wrote a foreword to the accounts. He said: 'As expected, the level of donations has fallen over time, although we have a number of loyal donors continuing their support.'

He went on: 'However our expenses are ongoing and likely to increase . . . The release of the police investigation files has enabled our investigative team to access a wealth of new information to be followed up, resulting in increased search and investigation activity.

'We will continue to ensure that Madeleine is not forgotten and will leave no stone unturned in our continued search for her.'

The accounts cover the months from May 2007 to March 2008, when the fund had £1.05million remaining in its coffers.

It has since been boosted by several libel payouts to the McCanns and their friends, the so-called Tapas Seven, which they donated to the fund.

The McCanns were cleared as suspects last August.

Their spokesman Mr Mitchell said: 'People will be able to see that every penny of the money they so generously donated has been spent properly in the hunt to find Madeleine.'




Madeleine McCann fund raised £2 million in first 10 months, 29 January 2009
Madeleine McCann fund raised £2 million in first 10 months Telegraph

The fund created to help find Madeleine McCann raised nearly £2 million in the first 10 months after she disappeared, it has emerged.

By Daily Telegraph Reporter
Last Updated: 9:37AM GMT 29 Jan 2009

Celebrities including JK Rowling and Sir Richard Branson, as well as tens of thousands of sympathisers worldwide, donated money after the three-year-old vanished on a family holiday in the Algarve in May 2007.

Kate and Gerry McCann used some of the money to launch a global campaign to highlight their missing daughter and visited Italy, Germany, Holland, Morocco and America in their bid to find her.

They also spent at least £250,000 on private detectives, including the Spanish agency Metodo 3.

The Find Madeleine Fund was set up as a non-charitable not-for-profit company in the weeks after Madeleine's disappearance.

Accounts registered at Companies House show that between May 2007 and March 2008, £1.4 million was received in bank donations, £390,000 was given via the internet and the sales of t-shirts and wristbands raised £64,000, according to the Daily Mail.

Much of the money was spent on posters and advertising, legal fees and management of the campaign to find Madeleine.

Donations fell away after the couple were made suspects in their's daughter disappearance in September 2007. It took until last summer for the McCanns to clear their name.


Madeleine Hunt Cost Fund £815k, 29 January 2009
Madeleine Hunt Cost Fund £815k Sky News

11:01am UK, Thursday January 29, 2009

The search for Madeleine McCann cost more than £815,000 - including Spanish private detective fees - out of £2m raised by well-wishers, it has emerged.

New official figures show the vast sums of money raised by the public and how it was spent on trying to find the young girl during the 10 months after she went missing.

More than £815,000 went towards the search between her disappearance in May 2007 and March last year.

This included £250,000 for search fees, including Spanish private detectives Metodo 3, £111,522 for legal costs and £123,573 for campaign management, accounts filed to Companies House show.

Madeleine's Fund was launched a fortnight after the child vanished from Praia da Luz, southern Portugal, on May 3, 2007.

Money flooded in from supporters around the world who wanted to do something to help her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann.

Donations in the period to March 31 last year totalled £1,846,178, including £64,078 from sales of T-shirts and wrist bands.

Mr McCann's brother John, who is one of the fund's directors, said contributions had since dropped off.

For legal reasons, Madeleine's Fund was set up as a not-for-profit limited company rather than a charity.

Its objectives are to secure Madeleine's safe return, to ensure that anyone involved in her disappearance is brought to justice, and to provide support to her family.

There was controversy when it was disclosed in October 2007 that the McCanns had used money from the fund to pay two mortgage payments on their home in Rothley, Leicestershire.

McCann family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "The accounts have been independently audited and are entirely transparent."

His salary was previously paid by the McCanns' millionaire benefactor, Cheshire-based entrepreneur Brian Kennedy.

But it is understood that he has been receiving a monthly retainer from the Madeleine Fund since September last year.

Madeleine was nearly four when she went missing from her family's holiday apartment while her parents dined with friends nearby. She has not been found.


Madeleine fund stands at £600,000, 29 January 2009
Madeleine fund stands at £600,000 Guardian / Daily Express

Press Association, Thursday January 29 2009

The official fund set up to help find Madeleine McCann now stands at £600,000 after an initial surge of donations dried up.

Nearly £2 million was raised in the first 10 months after the little girl went missing in May 2007, according to accounts filed to Companies House.

Over this period more than £815,000 from the fund was spent on efforts to trace Madeleine, who was nearly four when she went missing from her family's holiday apartment in the Algarve region of Portugal while her parents dined with friends nearby.

The expenditure included £250,000 for search fees, including the bill for Spanish private detectives Metodo 3, £111,522 for legal costs and £123,573 for campaign management. There was also £37,071 for the McCanns' official website, £81,904 for adverts and a total of £141,747 for administrative expenses.

Madeleine's Fund was launched a fortnight after the child vanished from Praia da Luz, southern Portugal, on May 3 2007.

Donations flooded in from supporters around the world who wanted to do something to help her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, of Rothley, Leicestershire, who are now both 40.

The fund's income in the period to March 31 last year totalled £1,846,178, including bank interest of £33,424 and £64,078 from sales of T-shirts and wristbands, the accounts showed.

This total includes a £550,000 libel award from Express Newspapers made in March last year, but not several later sums in damages paid to the McCanns and their friends by media groups.

Mr McCann's brother John, who is one of the fund's directors, said contributions had dropped off. He wrote in a foreword to the accounts, dated November 12 last year: "As expected, the level of donations has fallen over time, although we have a number of loyal donors continuing their support.

"Income in the new financial year is currently significantly lower than at the same time last year. However, our expenses are ongoing and likely to increase."


Where the £2m 'Find Maddie' cash went, 30 January 2009
Where the £2m 'Find Maddie' cash went Daily Star

By Gary Nicks
30th January 2009

Private eyes, PR executives and lawyers earned tens of thousands of pounds from the Madeleine McCann fund, accounts revealed yesterday.

Almost £2million poured in from the public after Maddie vanished in May 2007 on holiday in Portugal.

The nation was quick to help distraught parents Gerry and Kate McCann, both 40, with donations flooding in from around the world at the rate of £260 every hour.

Accounts filed at Companies House show the fund – set up two weeks after Maddie disappeared – raised over £1.89m in the first 10 months.

And they reveal how huge chunks were spent on private detectives, PR, legal firms and even bankers.

Money was raised through selling Maddie T-shirts and wristbands and through internet appeals, but most came from direct donations via banks.

The flow of cash suffered a dip when the McCanns were named as suspects, only to be later cleared by bungling Portuguese cops.

The fund currently stands at around £600,000 as the couple continue to fork out in their relentless bid to find Maddie.

Rules meant they had to set up a not-for-profit company – Madeleine's Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned Limited – and not a charity.

The biggest cost involved was Spanish agency Metodo 3, whose private detectives vowed to find her abductors, but they found nothing.

Their hunt took them to places like Morocco where they were convinced Maddie was being held.

Legal fees and costs administering the fund also swallowed up thousands.

There was controversy when it was disclosed in October 2007 that the McCanns had used money from the fund to pay two mortgage payments on their home in Rothley, Leicestershire.

Gerry’s brother John, 48, is the chairman of the fund and he stated in the accounts: "On 3rd May 2007, Madeleine McCann was abducted in Praia da Luz, Portugal. The events of that day touched the hearts of many in countries around the world. Donations started to flood in. In response to this, Madeleine's Fund was established. The aims of the fund are to help find Madeleine, to support her family and to bring her abductors to justice.

"Any surplus funds will be used to help families and missing children in similar circumstances in the UK, Portugal and elsewhere."

He said the fund had helped boost an awareness campaign and "provided some support to Madeleine's parents, brother and sister in maintaining the impetus of the investigation".

He added: "As expected, the level of donations has fallen over time, although we have a number of loyal donors who still help out.

"The subsequent release of the police investigation files has enabled our investigative team to access a wealth of new information to be followed up, resulting in increased search and investigation activity. We will continue to ensure that Madeleine is not forgotten and will leave no stone unturned in our continued search for her."

The McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "The accounts have been independently audited and are entirely transparent."


Mystery Accounts: Where is the McCann's Money?, 04 February 2009



Where is the McCann's Money? tvmais (appears in paper edition only)

Mystery Accounts

by Hernâni Carvalho
04 February 2009
Thanks to Joana Morais for translation

The McCann accounts continue to be a mystery, but so does the Madeleine Fund. Of the money received, only 13.3 % was spent on the investigation and searches for Madeleine.

A document to which tvmais had access reveals that, up to the 31st of March 2008, the Find Madeleine Fund received 2,819,403.00 Euros. Of this amount only 13.3% [375,000 Euros] was spent on searches and investigations (including private detectives). The Find Madeleine Fund was created [15 May 2007] with the objective of helping to find (by sponsoring the searches) the 'kidnapped' girl and to deliver the abductors to justice. In the case of being proved that Madeleine was dead, the money would no longer be accessible to the McCanns.

The donations arrived to the Fund in various ways: 2,085,540.00 Euros were donations received in the bank; 587,610.00 was received via the internet and 96,117.00 Euros was the profit made through the online shop. This amount is increased by the interest rate of 50,136.00 Euros, which makes a total sum of 2,819,403.00 Euros.

In making an analysis of the accounts presented by the fund, relative to the 31st of March 2008 (see box), we soon we realise that in the area of publicising [the posters which never appeared] and searches (of Madeleine) only 17.66% was spent of the money received. That is less than 500,000 Euros.

The profits of the online Shop were 96,117.00 Euros; however the shop itself costed 167,283.00 Euros in legal expenditures.

The fund has seven directors, but only two remain since the beginning.

The 'unveiling' of the fund accounts to which tvmais had access is registered at the Companies House with the code number X5NBF0CR.

The Portuguese Authorities requested Information from the British

Ongoing Investigation?

No one can know what money the McCanns had with them on the day that their daughter disappeared in Praia da Luz, Algarve. What is known is that the PJ never had access to the bank accounts belonging to Gerry or Kate McCann. Twice the Portuguese authorities requested information from the British authorities concerning the bank accounts of the group who had dinner with Madeleine's parents on the night of the disappearance of the girl.

The objective was to know who, exactly, those nine people were (seven plus the McCann couple) on that date (3rd May 2007). The information (bank account and credit cards) about the seven Tapas friends arrived [though not complete, as you can read here], yet regarding Kate and Gerry McCann the British authorities never gave any information - even affirming that there was no record of credit cards or loans for the couple.

Up to today, no one knows [at least the Portuguese Authorities don't know] which accounts the McCanns had between the 25th of April 2007 and the 12 September 2008. In January of this year the British authorities failed to give information regarding the McCanns' money arguing that there is "an ongoing investigation".

This strange situation is at odds with the fact that the Madeleine process was archived in July 2008.


Only 13% of the money was spent looking for Maddie, 09 February 2009

Only 13% of the money was spent looking for Maddie 24horas

McCann couple present the accounts of the campaign for their daughter

Text: Duarte Levy (in London)
09 February 2009
Thanks to Astro for translation

Madeleine's Fund has received almost 3 million euros from private donors, but the accounting fails to explain where all the money has gone to

The Leaving No Stone Unturned Limited fund, which was created by Kate and Gerry McCann nine days after Madeleine disappeared from the apartment in Praia da Luz, received, until March 2008, almost three million euros in donations, but only 13.3 percent of the money has been spent on the investigations that, according to the couple, are searching for their daughter. The Madeleine Fund's accounts from May 2007 until March 2008 were only revealed after some aspects of the way in which the money was used, by the McCanns, were discussed during the TVI talk show "As Tardes da Júlia". According to the official document that we had access to, the fund that was created to finance the searches for Madeleine received a total amount of 2,819,403 euros until March 2008, of which only 1,222,669 euros (43.37%) was spent, mostly on current expenses. The fund then presented a positive balance of 1,596,733 euros (56.63%).

Curiously, the McCanns spent 122,856 euros (4.36%) on posters and adverts, but the document fails to specify exactly where these items were distributed, which leaves some commentators perplexed, given the fact that several poster-distribution and outdoor campaigns for Portugal and Spain, that were announced by the British media, never materialised, and even in Morocco, the country where the investigators that were hired by the McCanns believed that Maddie was located, the few posters that were distributed were those that Kate and Gerry brought when they visited, and handed over to the children that had been assembled for the occasion. Another curious piece of data is the fact that the accounts do not show the amounts that the couple used to pay the two instalments of the mortgage on their house, which were paid with money from the donations, according to confirmation given to the media by Clarence Mitchell, a former head of Tony Blair's government's media monitoring unit and the McCanns' spokesman.

All in all, the couple spent 224,529 euros (7.96%) on public relations and media monitoring, expenses that are not supposed to include – if we take his own statements into account – Clarence Mitchell's salaries, but reveal a constant preoccupation with what is being said in the media, and not forgetting about the internet where the couple's lawyers have been threatening some of those who don't believe in the theory of Maddie's abduction. Since May 2007, the internet has actually been a constant preoccupation for the McCanns, which might eventually explain the amount that was spent on the creation and maintenance of the internet pages for the Fund and for the virtual store, where t-shirts, wristbands and other objects related to the little girl can be bought: according to the expenses that have now been declared, the site cost 55,606 euros (1.97%) over eleven months of activity.

Rich, very rich…

As long as Madeleine's body is not found, 'Madeleine' Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned Limited' has its future guaranteed, as its purpose is to continue the search for Madeleine, and has a financial health that many enterprises, especially during a crisis, would envy: after 11 months of operation, the fund presents a positive balance of 1,596,733 euros, which equals 56.63% of the income.

Facts

SUPPORT. The millionaire Brian Kennedy has been one of the McCann couples major supporters and even offered a reward for anyone who could find the girl.

ALMOST 2 YEARS. Madeleine McCann disappeared from an apartment of the Ocean Club tourist resort, in Praia da Luz, Lagos (Algarve) on the 3rd of May 2007.

From the accounts:-


paid for legal representation for Kate, Gerry, Sean and Amelie in Portugal, enabling them obtain an injunction banning Mr Amoral [sic] from repeating his fabricated claims about Madeleine's abduction

Deanna wrote:From the accounts:-


paid for legal representation for Kate, Gerry, Sean and Amelie in Portugal, enabling them obtain an injunction banning Mr Amoral [sic] from repeating his fabricated claims about Madeleine's abduction

The accounts are from March 2008

The accounts show clearly that the Fund has, contrary to what they said, has been used to pay legal costs. Only 13% of the Fund was used on the 'search'. Vaguely, you seem to be determined to miss the point - Deanna's post clearly answers your question.

For futher information about the accounts, have a look at the accounts section on the mccanfiles (link at beginning of my previous post).

I'm not missing the point - I'm trying to work out whether the legal costs are legal costs involved in the search, or legal costs for court cases.

I don't know where Deanna got that amputated sentence from.

As far as I'm concerned anyone who was daft enough to pay in to the fund should have read the small print.

I did look at the accounts section of McCann files, but I can't find the part that says it was used for the Amaral case.......the accounts published are March 2008.

If you know where it's from I'd appreciate a link more specific than the McCann files.

Deanna wrote:From the accounts:-


paid for legal representation for Kate, Gerry, Sean and Amelie in Portugal, enabling them obtain an injunction banning Mr Amoral [sic] from repeating his fabricated claims about Madeleine's abduction

Note the deliberate mis-spelling of Mr Amaral's name.

Except V, many people who just give to what they perceive to be a good cause don't ask to see the small print. Was there any small print?

Autumn wrote:

Deanna wrote:From the accounts:-


paid for legal representation for Kate, Gerry, Sean and Amelie in Portugal, enabling them obtain an injunction banning Mr Amoral [sic] from repeating his fabricated claims about Madeleine's abduction

Note the deliberate mis-spelling of Mr Amaral's name.

Where is this from Autumn?

Pascal wrote:Except V, many people who just give to what they perceive to be a good cause don't ask to see the small print. Was there any small print?

Yes, it said that the money could be used to support the family.

MADELEINE'S FUND: LEAVING NO STONE UNTURNED LIMITED
(Limited by guarantee)
REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2009
Registered Number: 6248215

CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT
The Chairman presents his statement for the year.

On 3rd May 2007, Madeleine McCann was abducted in Praia da Luz, Portugal. The events of that day touched the heart of many, in countries around the world. Donations started to flood in. In response to this, Madeleine's Fund was established.

The aims of the Fund are to help find Madeleine, to support her family and to bring her abductors to justice. Any surplus funds will be used to help families and missing children in similar circumstances in the United Kingdom, Portugal and elsewhere. The Fund has 7 directors.

We have continued to concentrate on ensuring that Madeleine is not forgotten and that the search for her continues. We have:

• provided finance for a team of investigators to lead a private search for Madeleine

• financed the translation of the full set of files released by the Portuguese police, enabling our team of investigators to follow up all potential leads

• paid for legal representation for Kate, Gerry, Sean and Amelie in Portugal, enabling them obtain an injunction banning Mr Amoral [sic] from repeating his fabricated claims about Madeleine's abduction

• funded an awareness-raising campaign to ensure that Madeleine is not forgotten, the key part of which is our website

• provided some administrative support to Madeleine's family in maintaining the impetus of the investigation

Last year I referred to the public apology made to Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry, by the Express Group following months of inaccurate speculation and accusations in the media. Other newspapers followed suit with accompanying donations to Madeleine's Fund. In addition, an apology was made to the friends of Gerry and Kate who were in Praia da Luz at the time of Madeleine's abduction.

Rather than accepting libel damages, the friends requested that a donation was made to the fund. This has enabled us to continue our search for Madeleine. On behalf of the directors of Madeleine's Fund, I thank Kate, Gerry and their friends for continuing to forego any personal financial recompense to ensure that the search for Madeleine continues.

Following the end of the financial year we were delighted to hear that Madeleine's parents, brother and sister had been successful in obtaining an injunction banning sales of Mr Amoral's [sic] book and banning him from repeating his claims.

These fabrications had hindered the search for Madeleine and were a barrier to potentially valuable information being passed on to the police. Our team of investigators continue to diligently review police files, witness statements and follow up every potential lead in the search for Madeleine.

Although the majority of donation income for the year arose from family and friends donating libel damages, we have a number of loyal donors continuing their support.

For this we are grateful. As expected, income in the new financial year is lower than last year and we continue to review all our expenses to ensure value for money.

The directors regularly discuss the strategy for the Fund to ensure that finances are available to achieve our main objective, finding Madeleine.

The Board of Directors would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported the search for Madeleine. The level of financial support, the amount of time given up and the numerous messages of support sent to Madeleine's family have been overwhelming. All messages of support sent to the Fund are passed to Gerry and Kate, and appreciated by them. We will continue to ensure that Madeleine is not forgotten and will leave no stone unturned in our search for her.

J McCann
Chairman
--------------

http://joana-morais.blogspot.com/2010/01/madeleines-fund-leaving-no-stone.html

Thank you

I presume this is counted as legal funds involved in the search.

As opposed to legally fighting their arguido status (or planned spending had they been charged with an offence)

I'm amazed that anyone other than those with close links to the McCanns would donate anything on that basis.

In my view this is where the McCanns really fall down.

Thought it might be a good idea to start a new thread about the accounts for the Fund so that we can focus more on the income, expenses and those involved with it.

Did you Donate?

aliberte2 wrote:Did you Donate?

I think you can guess the answer to that.

As far as I can see they haven't used the funds for their defence fund, just for the book, which they consider to be hampering their search.

It seems to fit with what was previously said - I'm not seeing an issue.

Autumn wrote:

aliberte2 wrote:Did you Donate?

I think you can guess the answer to that.

Then you Have no Standing -- so what is Your issue?