Re: Please note: the Fund is not a Charity.

by pauline 10.07.12 13:40

tigger wrote:
Detailed Fund accounts please - Team McCann - as promised.

Tigger - you are JOKING.

Team McCann does not do openness, transparency and accountability - despite what kate said in the 'truthful' book.

by pauline 10.07.12 13:40

tigger wrote:
Angelique wrote:I am absolutely appalled, dumbfounded, whatever.

Well, we knew they were aiming high - in a way, it's insurance that they will never be held responsible for leaving their children alone whilst socialising.

As regards whether Kate will be salaried - I expect so!

Their ONLY safe place is in the limelight. That's why the Pope visit was arranged in such a hurry - it gives them credibility. Once you've read the files, also the ONLY credibility.

Detailed Fund accounts please - Team McCann - as promised.

by **tigger** 10.07.12 19:30

russiandoll wrote:
surprised when looking at a twitter page [ the realhumptybumpty [exposing the mccanns, uncovering the shocking truth about MM disappearance] to see a post from Ms McVey, not posting re Maddie, an innocuous post re cooking... clicked on her id and it took me to her twitter page...credible tweets considering who she is. not a fake id imo.
She is posting to this person even if not re McCanns...on a feed that is as skeptical as any I have read about the case.

Interesting...

From McCannfiles: I 'm posting this here today as I have already mentioned the film deal in another post today - the timing and manner of Ms. McVey's resignation are of interest. The different versions are also interesting as is the coincidence of the film deal being discussed.
Quote:
Esther McVey resigns - announced 08 January 2008

Kate and Gerry 'plan £2m film deal' as Madeleine Fund dwindles Daily Mail

By VANESSA ALLEN
Last updated at 09:06 09 January 2008

Extract (Third re-write of this article and the current online version):

Mr Mitchell said a book deal was also being considered "at some point down the line". He confirmed reports that one of the directors of the fund, former GMTV presenter Esther McVey, had resigned from the board, but denied it was because of any rift with the McCanns.

He said she wanted to concentrate on her role as a Conservative parliamentary candidate and was also about to start studying for a demanding MBA qualification.

The first version of this article, which appeared on 08 January 2008, was very brief and simply said:

(The film project will be discussed at a meeting of the fund's directors, including Gerry, tomorrow night at the McCanns' home in Rothley, Leicestershire...)

The meeting tomorrow follows the resignation of key board members, including the fund's spokeswoman Esther McVey.

The second version, later that day of 08 January 2008, contained more information and a quote from Clarence Mitchell. This was later removed and rewritten into the article that now appears online, as above. But why were this section and Mr Mitchell's quote removed?:

Clarence Mitchell later confirmed the reports that Esther McVey had resigned from the board but denied it was because of any rift with the McCanns. He said she wanted to concentrate on her role as a Conservative parliamentary candidate and was also about to start studying for a demanding MBA qualification.

"She has a lot of commitments and realised she could not devote the time she wanted to the fund," he said. "She felt the New Year would be a good time for the change, and spoke to Kate about her decision. Kate and Gerry were disappointed but they both understood her reasons. She is an old friend of Kate's and continues to support the fund."

Mr Mitchell said other directors might also want to "rotate" their position on the board, as it had created a lot more work than was originally anticipated in May.
unquote

by **tigger** 11.07.12 6:42

This is copied from: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

McCanns Friend Lady Catherine Meyer [....]
As the accounts of the charity show, in 2010 income was £97,805 and expenditure, £80,491.
In 2009, the income was £28,445 and expenses £87,640 leading to a loss, even after taking into account unrealised investment gains, of over £50,000.
When we look at expenses we can see that over £49,586 of expenses in 2010 related to the salaries of Catherine Meyer (Lady Meyer) and her administrative assistant.
The Daily Telegraph understands that nearly 70 percent of that money was related to the salary of Lady Meyer.
In 2009, expenses directly related to the salaries of Lady Meyer and her assistant was £63,877.
It is quite easy to see why the charity lost over £50,000 that year.
Donations to the charity seem to have done more to pay the Chanel-clad Lady Meyer her salary and expenses than they have done to assist abducted children...
unquote

It's a very good example showing how many charities function. Seeing the website of Missingpeople, I'm struck by the very large number of employees - 43.
That's not counting volunteers I take it, because an employee is not - by definition - a volunteer. That's 43 salaries paid out.
Therefore the above breakdown of the PACT 'charity' expenses is a useful example of how these charities tend to work.

We have two charities and a Fund, all connected with children and missing people who seem to have the same modus operandi.

The IFLG of lawyers was set up 5 weeks before 3/5/07.
PACT was set up when?
Missingpeople was set up when?

by Liz Eagles 11.07.12 7:09

Imagine a fund where there can be no salary drawn. Imagine a fund which alters its mission to include the possibility of helping other charities. Imagine a fund that allies itself with another charity. Imagine a fund which generously donates to that other charity. Imagine that charity paying a salary. It's just imagination and a fictitious scenario.

by uppatoffee 11.07.12 10:47

Look at the staff cost for Missing People in 2011. (p18)

£1.3 million. Really? Their income only appears to be £1.4million. Sounds a bit like another "charitable organisation" run by Lady Mayer. How many staff are they employing for that???

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by **tigger** 11.07.12 12:41

uppatoffee wrote:Look at the staff cost for Missing People in 2011. (p18)

£1.3 million. Really? Their income only appears to be £1.4million. Sounds a bit like another "charitable organisation" run by Lady Mayer. How many staff are they employing for that???

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Wow! I'm impressed by my wild guesswork when I posted on the ambassador topic that I estimated the wages at that amount!
Thank you - I will copy this perhaps to another topic where only the financial affairs of Missingpeople, Pact and associated 'charities' will be discussed?

The link is a brilliant example of what the accounts of the FindMadeleineFund should look like if there was the transparency so faithfully promised.

re Ms. E.McVey
The departure of Ester McVey on the 8th of January, soon after the first accounts were published and in the middle of the film deal, not to mention the Oprah Winfrey offers and documentary fees which were being discussed at that very early stage was significant imo. Apart from dredging the Arade Dam nothing much seemed to be happening to look for Madeleine at that time - McVey isn't going to give her reasons publicly but I think they're fairly clear.

by **PeterMac** 11.07.12 13:06

And one was paid between 60,000, and 70,000 POUNDS Sterling
76,138 Euros
93,385 US Dollars
765,067 SA Rand

Nice wage for overseeing a help line.

by uppatoffee 11.07.12 13:19

It does seem a lot, PM! However I found this useful page from the guardian which indicates it is actually well below the going rate for chief execs. I guess this is a sign of the times.

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by **tigger** 11.07.12 13:21

uppatoffee wrote:It does seem a lot, PM! However I found this useful page from the guardian which indicates it is actually well below the going rate for chief execs. I guess this is a sign of the times.

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You're all so brilliant at finding these numbers. It looks as if the new Ambassador for MP might take care of the money they had left over from last year then.
She can't be doing it for pin money, she's bought a new frock and everything...

by uppatoffee 11.07.12 13:31

Thanks Tigger. Feel free to copy it to whichever thread. There are lots on very similar themes and wasn't sure where was best.

by Cristobell 11.07.12 17:47

tigger wrote:From the Sun: Article by A.Lazzeri 10/7/12:

If you recognise a missing person from one of the ads, make sure you call 116 000.
If you spot a missingperson ring 116 000
YOU can also help Kate McCann’s campaign by donating to the charity Missing People.

A donation of £3 pays for a poster appeal for a missing child. And a gift of £10 pays for a volunteer to follow up a sighting.

Give £3 by texting SEARCH to 70990. Or give £10 by calling freephone 0800 MISSING (647 7464).

If you have information about Madeleine McCann ring the Find Madeleine team on 0845 838 4699, or contact the Met’s Operation Grange on 0207 321 9251. Unquote

Imo this will muddy the waters considerably to the extend that people will not be clear which cause they are donating their money to.
If people choose to donate money for a poster and a volunteer to follow up a sighting - which child do they choose? Or who does choose which child will be featured?
It is very likely that - thanks to advertising Madeleine separately here with a telephone number - most people will think they are donating to find Maddie.

Why should a volunteer need to be paid? Ten pounds isn't going to cover any worthwhile effort, it's a tip and an amount that most kind people will donate, thinking they are doing a good deed.

Madeleine McCann should not be separately mentioned in any publicity this REAL charity organisation undertakes.

I will be interested to see how the accounts of this charity compare with the Company of the McCanns. If for instance posters of Maddie will be provided by the Company and paid for by the Charity for Missing Children?

Is Mrs. McCann going to be charging for her services in the same way that Cherie Booth and Lady Meyer did with the PACT charity - to such an extend that their 'expenses' were nearly equal to the incoming funds?

Do the mccans still have a team? I thought Dave Edgar had resigned.

by **tigger** 11.08.12 9:02

The following link is from the blog 'Women in crime'. This part is particularly relevant as Pat Brown explains exactly how her own 'Fund' for finding Madeleine McCann is managed. Transparently so.

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Here are the first three points:

1. I am not giving or receiving any monies from the McCanns' search fund.

2. At present, 50% of monies received from the sale of the Profile of the Disappearance of Madeleine McCann will go to the Pat Brown Maddie Search Fund. The other 50% earned from the book is income, not donations. I am selling a product and do not have to donate all earnings (or any) to charitable causes (however, I do pro bono work on other cases as there are OTHER missing and murdered children and adults than Madeleine in this world, so part of my earnings through any means funds this). I have chosen to donate 50% of the book's earnings to my Maddie search fund since she is the focus of this book.

3. The Pat Brown Maddie Search Fund monies will be not be spent on a personal salary (any time spent will be pro bono). Monies will be used for expenses related to doing a search: travel, equipment, hiring of local PIs, or bringing in experts.
unquote

by **tigger** 28.08.12 19:29

it will be interesting to see whether in four months' time when the accounts of the Fund have to be submitted, the advance for the book will at last show up. Daily Express
By Padraic Flanagan
Friday March 11,2011
[...]

After signing the multi-million-pound publishing deal, Kate said: "My reason for writing is simple – to give an account of the truth.

[....]

"Every penny we raise through its sales will be spent on our search for Madeleine. Nothing is more important to us than finding our little girl."

Publisher Transworld won the rights to the couple's account of Madeleine's baffling disappearance from the family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3, 2007.

Details of the deal have not been released but it reportedly includes a "substantial" advance and "enhanced royalties", giving the fund a bigger share of profits from sales of the expected best-seller. Bill Scott-Kerr, publisher at Transworld, said: "It is an enormous privilege to be publishing this book.

The official Portuguese inquiry into Madeleine's disappearance formally ceased in July 2008 but private detectives employed by the McCanns have continued the search for the missing child.

Within weeks of Madeleine being snatched, just days before her fourth birthday as her parents dined with friends nearby, money from the public poured in to help fund the massive search for her.

But it emerged recently that the fund had dropped from its £2million peak to less than £300,000. The McCanns have also sent letters to public figures asking for money to help continue the hunt for their daughter.
Unquote.

by pauline 28.08.12 19:50

Tigger, I suspect the next accounts will be a mystery; mysteriously lacking in detail.

Maybe the book money was spent before there was time to put it into the Fund.

Maybe a new lead came in from one of their hot shot detectives just as Kate was thinking about thinking about putting on her coat to go to the bank - and she had to get the money to her team immediately because as you know time is of the essence in missing children cases.

by **tigger** 28.08.12 19:54

From:
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Re: Clarence Mitchell:
5. Failing to explain that the ‘Helping to Find Madeleine Fund’ was not a charity
Interviewed by James Whale, Mitchell repeatedly refused to correct Whale when he referred to the McCanns’ fund as a ‘charity’. In fact, the Helping to Find Madeleine Fund is registered as a ‘private trust’; its aims are not charitable and include making payments to the McCanns.

6. Asking people to send money in envelopes to ‘Gerry and Kate, Rothley’
Asked on the same James Whale show how people could contribute to the fund, Mitchell said: “Just put money into an envelope and send to Kate and Gerry McCann, Rothley, it’ll get there”. That was unprofessional – monies should have been directed to the registered office for the Fund, namely London Solicitors Bates, Wells & Braithwaite. For example, monies sent in the post could be stolen en route or would not be properly accounted for.

7. Claiming that the Fund was ‘independently controlled’
Pressed about control of the ‘Helping to Find Madeleine Fund’, Clarence Mitchell claimed that the Fund was ‘independently controlled’. This is untrue. The Trust’s Directors consist mainly of members of the McCann family and their friends or acquaintances.
unquote
Unfortunately I can't find the transcript of the James Whale show as the website which had it no longer responds.

by **tigger** 28.08.12 20:00

pauline wrote:Tigger, I suspect the next accounts will be a mystery; mysteriously lacking in detail.

Maybe the book money was spent before there was time to put it into the Fund.

Maybe a new lead came in from one of their hot shot detectives just as Kate was thinking about thinking about putting on her coat to go to the bank - and she had to get the money to her team immediately because as you know time is of the essence in missing children cases.

That must be it! Probably someone even better than Oakley International - or Metodo3 - basically finding a 'detective' who wasn't likely to end up in prison after being engaged to find a lost child would have been a novelty.

by **tigger** 30.09.12 19:20

Just 'harvesting' McCannfiles for another purpose, this is too good to leave: We're talking 2008 here!

Madeleine's Fund down to £500,000 Leicester Mercury

By TOM PEGDEN
10:30 - 09 July 2008

The Madeleine McCann fighting fund is down to £500,000, the family's spokesman said today.

At one time, the fund, partly launched to pay for the investigation into the disappearance, stood at £1.1 million.

Family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said that over the past year Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry McCann, from Rothley, had spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on private investigators searching for their missing daughter.

He spoke as Leicestershire police agreed to pass on to the family 81 pieces of information collected by them in the first days after the disappearance.

Mr Mitchell said: "The fund is approximately half spent, at about £500,000. Most of it is going on investigators.

"Money is still coming in, and every time Kate and Gerry do interviews a bit more comes in."

The fund - which is not a registered charity - was set up to pay for private detectives to investigate Madeleine's disappearance, to fund a website and to provide support, including financial assistance, for her family.

It was bolstered in March by a £550,000 libel settlement from the national Express group of newspapers, boosting the fund to £1.1million. Small amounts are still trickling in from the public. Last year, the Leicester Mercury's Bands of Hope wristband campaign, supported by thousands of readers, contributed a further £57,000.

Mr and Mrs McCann also have the support of several benefactors, including Richard Branson and Cheshire businessman Brian Kennedy, who have helped by funding libel actions and paying Mr Mitchell's salary. Mr Mitchell said: "The backers have not got open chequebooks, but they are supportive of the family. It is right that the legal bills should come from the backers."
[....]

The family also hope Portuguese authorities will agree to lift their official suspect - or arguido - status next month.

Anyone wishing to support the family can send cheques, payable to Madeleine's Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned, to Madeleine's Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned Limited, PO Box 53133, London, E18 2YR.

by **tigger** 11.10.12 16:23

This is from the Amazon site on the book 'Madeleine', comments from the readers:

Cyr Jimenez Says:
February 8th, 2012 at 10:50 am

I can’t believe that nobody seems to have noticed Gerry’s blundering answer when, shortly after Madeleine’s ‘disappearance’, a reporter asked him. This is on record.
Q: ‘What is the purpose of the fund?’
R: It is to continue looking for Madeleine after the official search ends.
He was sure that none of the efforts of the Portuguese Authorities, Polícia Judiciária, Polícia de Segurança Pública, Polícia Marítima, etc. did stand a cat in hell chance of finding the unfortunate child.
The McCanns are the only people that NEVER looked for Madeleine/
.unquote

by Guest 11.10.12 21:06

Don't know where to put this so here will do, is this a new initiative to text a £1 by phone, just seen this tweet ...............

[email=T***********@TR]T***********@TR[/email] ********

Compose newMadeleine's Fund launched By phone: Text "MADDIE" to 60999 and £1 will be taken from your phone for the Madeleine Fund. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

by sami 11.10.12 22:16

candyfloss wrote:Don't know where to put this so here will do, is this a new initiative to text a £1 by phone, just seen this tweet ...............

[email=T***********@TR]T***********@TR[/email] ********

Compose newMadeleine's Fund launched By phone: Text "MADDIE" to 60999 and £1 will be taken from your phone for the Madeleine Fund. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Forgive me for being stupid, but what do the McCanns and their Limited Company require money for at this point in time ? Millions of pounds are being spent by Scotland Yard with their review and as far as I am aware the McCanns have no "detectives" working at present. Did Gerry not say when the review was announced he welcomed it so that it would take pressure off the fund ?

Perhaps if they lobbied the Portugese authorities in the correct manner, and simply asked for the investigation to be re-opened - it might actually happen and all for free.

Is there a law against a Limited Company asking people to just donate money to them by text ? A charity is a different matter, I am sure, but we are not dealing with a charity here. Now they are not even offering good quality wrist bands - you just give them money for the fun of it.

How far will they be allowed to go.

by **PeterMac** 11.10.12 22:41

If this is the same Cyr Jimenez who reported on his conversation, in Spanish with M3, reported on the site Faked Abduction . .. .
We have both tried to contact him, but has never replied.

by Angelique 11.10.12 23:05

Isn't this a form of begging ?

Does anyone know whether you can do this - certainly it does seem they are getting desperate. If it is legal anyone could do it!

by Guest 11.10.12 23:11

Angelique wrote:Isn't this a form of begging ?

Does anyone know whether you can do this - certainly it does seem they are getting desperate. If it is legal anyone could do it!

It looks like this is from way back in 2007 according to the link on Joana Morais blog. It was just tweeted tonight though on the mccann hashtag.

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by **tigger** 12.10.12 6:13

Angelique wrote:Isn't this a form of begging ?

Does anyone know whether you can do this - certainly it does seem they are getting desperate. If it is legal anyone could do it!

Why should they be desperate? Kate has an ambassadorial job. Gerry is working full time.

There can't be a problem if the money from the advance from Transworld - definitely a six figure number the press reported and that makes sense - is in the Fund.
However, it still doesn't seem to have been added to the Fund if they are asking the public to not only contribute by buying the book but now this 'phone us a pound' campaign.

Yet: From the Sunday Express 10/4/2011:

Kate has said: "[...] Every penny we raise through its sales will be spent on our search for Madeleine."

So how come it hasn't appeared in the Fund and how come only 13% of the outgoings is spent on the search?

Phoning money to charities during particular campaigns of such charities is common.

For a ltd. Company whose accounts are nowhere near as transparent as was promised to the generous people and children who donated - in addition to having 40 + officers of Scotland Yard working on the case at a cost to the taxpayers - which is already sure to exceed 3 million pounds - imo that is unethical.
The good people of Britain have paid enough.

Another point: the only sightings of Madeleine McCann have come from the public - not from 'detectives' - the whole world is looking for free. As has been the case from the start.

by aiyoyo 12.10.12 7:53

It is my belief every Pound counts and matters for the mccanns because they have mounting legal fees.

The question is: how to make the public aware that the Fund is a Private Limited Company (not a Charity) meant strictly for the mccanns to spend as they like and very little of that goes to the Search. Refer people to look up their published audited accounts to verify for themselves.

Maybe complaints should be made to the Phone Provider that allows that kind of transaction, inform the Phone Co. that the Mccanns Fund is not a Charity thus legitimacy of the *phone-in* questionable unless they can confirm it does not breach any law. If I am not wrong, a percentage of the total *phone-in* amounts goes to the telecommunication company.
In fact if the Phone Co. allows a Pte Ltd to solicit money from the public by the *phone-in* compulsory deduction per call without first determining its legitimacy it can be deemed to be negligent. No excuse for being ignorant as businesses are not run by being ignorant of the laws.

Maybe a check with the Registry of Companies will also yield answer as to whether soliciting money by *phone-in* by pte ltd company breaches the ROC's Rules and Regulations.

by **tigger** 12.10.12 8:30

Aiyoyo wrote: It is my belief every Pound counts and matters for the mccanns because they have mounting legal fees.

Well, Messrs Carter Ruck have volunteered the information (some time ago) that the McCanns are paying them a monthly retainer.
Over the years that must have mounted up as we already know.

The pensioner they are taking to court is known not to have anywhere near the capital available to pay these costs, leave alone the fees of barristers etc. when the case finally comes before the judge. Even if all his property (house, car and so on) were to be impounded and sold, it will not meet the costs incurred.

It seems a terrible waste of money from the Fund. It may be that others are still paying legal costs - it is strange that the notion of paying legal costs arose so early - Kate's great-uncle Brian Kennedy stated on video that the Fund would be used for legal expenses. 16/5/07.
So why legal expenses so early - the internet and press had spread her image around the world, the police of two countries were working on the case and police in all other countries were aware of the case. Why did lawyers' fees figure in the case at all?
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by Guest 12.10.12 10:49

I was inspired to go back and read Enid O'Dowds analysis of the fund's accounts again. It's a long read, but worthwhile to refresh memory ...

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
by Enid O'Dowd FCA

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They have till December 31 to file last year's.

by **tigger** 26.10.12 18:23

McCanns' fury at TV freeze Sunday Mirror (No direct online link - FindArticles.com)

By STEPHEN MAGUIRE
Dec 2, 2007

MADELEINE McCann's family are furious with TV3 bosses who froze a bank account which was meant to be used to help find the missing girl.

Almost EUR25,000 was raised by viewers of the TV station, based in Dublin, when it launched the Missing Maddie Fund in June. But station bosses decided not to hand over the cash because the main Maddie Fund was not a registered charity.

Last night Kate and Gerry McCann's family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said he was very disappointed at the station's move.

He said: "We would appeal to them to think again and forward the cash on so it can be used for the purpose it was intended".

"In relation to the charitable status of the fund we took legal advice on this issue and were advised not to do this".

"But we want to assure people, including TV3, that every penny of the fund can be accounted for." The TV3 Maddie appeal was launched in a blaze of publicity on June 1 after huge viewer interest in the plight of the missing four-year-old.

Donations of EUR24,345 soon flooded in, and the cash remains in an account at the Allied Irish Bank headquarters in Ballsbridge, Co Dublin, gathering interest.

A spokesman for the station said earlier that if a registered charity is not set up for Maddie the money will be donated to a registered child protection cause.
unquote

I'd like to know what happened to that money - in view of the lack of detail in the accounts of the Fund so far. Perhaps someone could contact TV3. Particularly in view of the marvellous work of Ms. O'Dowd on the analysis of the accounts.
We're waiting with bated breath to find the advance on royalties, said to be a six figure sum, in the next published accounts. Not long now. winkwink