Noel Hogan - McCann PI

PeterMac wrote:Proably worthy of its own thread, but this was from Joana Morais

New detectives hired by the McCanns are criticized

A former Scotland Yard detective hired to search for Madeleine McCann is conducting a private murder investigation to discredit police evidence against her parents.
But last night fears were raised that Noel Hogan might not be up to the job.
Mr Hogan, who runs a private detective agency, has re-interviewed British witnesses including the McCanns holiday friends.

He is also understood to have gone through the McCanns’ own statements in minute detail with the couple.
In a startling twist, Kate and Gerry’s lawyers have ordered that their own inquiry into Madeleine's disappearance, while on holiday in Portugal last May, should focus on the theory that the three-year-old was killed and her body hidden.
Hogan International, which specialises in asset investigations, is taking over the case after the McCanns benefactors voiced dismay at the lack of tangible progress made by the Spanish agency Metodo 3.
Sources close to the inquiry say the two firms have a history of rivalry after previously clashing over conflicting investigations.

In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Express, Mr Hogan revealed that his previous experience of missing people cases was limited to tracing beneficiaries of wills. He also admitted that despite the high profile of the Madeleine investigation, his 12-strong team of former detectives and ex-SAS men were already handling around 5,000 cases.

Speaking from his office in a rundown tower block in Aldershot, Hants, Mr Hogan refused to say how much he was being paid. He said: ‘I don’t want to become part of the circus surrounding Madeleine. I am not allowed to go into operational detail and I just do what I am told.

‘We deal with all matters of investigation, but it is true that normally the missing people we deal with are those who have inherited something and then disappeared. We have never dealt with a missing child.

‘I am not going to boast about success rates like Metodo 3, because that did nobody a favour. We have one office and there are 12 people who work here. If I need to I can bring other people in.

‘When the police have a big case they do not stop investigating all the others they are working on.

‘I have a lot of people who I know who are ex-policemen and know how to handle a criminal investigation.

‘The Portuguese police have put a complete closedown on any facts. Normally in this country you would have a liaison officer with the family.’

Another former Scotland Yard officer, who has given unofficial advice to the McCanns, from Rothley, Leicestershire, last night voiced his concern at the appointment. He said: I cannot understand why they have chosen to go with Mr Hogan because he simply does not have the resources or the back-up to conduct a major investigation.

The advice I have given to the McCanns was to urge them to request a meeting with Scotland Yard and to ask them to take over the British side of the investigation. The Yard has a very sophisticated and well-resourced kidnap squad, which deals with more than 300 abductions a year, far more than any other force in Britain. Forces from around the world turn to them for advice.

My view is that the McCanns should not waste money with private investigators but should get the best police in Britain on the job.

I think the role of Leicestershire Police is confused. At first they sent officers to Portugal to offer liaison assistance to the McCanns but now it appears they are investigating them on behalf of the Portuguese. It has become a mess.

Last night Mr Hogan retorted: I was in Surrey Police for four years and the Met after that. I finished top of my CID course but decided to leave to start my own business.

I am not a disgraced former policeman. I deal in professional investigations and I have been doing this a long time.
Control Risks Group, which is advising the investigation on behalf of the McCanns billionaire backer Brian Kennedy, are also reported have taken on a larger role.
But no significant new lines of inquiry are being examined and, despite an overwhelming response to their Christmas appeal, the McCanns have been advised to focus on their own defence.
A source close to the family said: The investigation is working towards a resolution and we have to consider that Madeleine may have been murdered.
We have been working to the theory she may have been killed and all the possible scenarios are being considered.
Of course we hope very much that she is alive but nothing can be ruled out.

Eight months after Madeleine vanished, Portuguese detectives have made it clear they think Kate and Gerry staged an abduction in an attempt to provide a smokescreen for a more sinister crime.

Original link was http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/31295/Madeleine-Fears-detective-not-up-to-job
but it has been whooshed !lots more at
http://joana-morais.blogspot.com/2008/01/madeleine-mccann-court-will-decide.html

tigger wrote:Here's an interesting article on an early connection to the Met. A PI whose name we never hear mentioned, but must surely have been of some use?

From McCannfiles.com

Apart from other detectives, Noel Hogan seems to be of interest, if only because we hardly ever hear about him. Links to the Met in January 08, working for Metodo.
Most of all, at this early date trying to get in touch with the Smiths amongst others.

The McCanns bring in cold-case detectives to investigate Madeleine's disappearance Daily Mail
By DAN NEWLING and VANESSA ALLEN
Last updated at 00:48 03 January 2008

Kate and Gerry McCann have hired a former Met Police officer to carry out a "cold case" review into Madeleine's disappearance.

Noel Hogan, a former CID detective, has spent hundreds of hours interviewing British witnesses in the case.
[..]
Mr Hogan spent eight years in the Met where he reached the rank of detective superintendent.
Since 1986 he has run his own detective agency in Surrey, Hogan International, which claims to have extensive experience dealing with missing-person cases.
[..]
When contacted by the Daily Mail, Mr Hogan confirmed that he had spoken to many of the holidaymakers now back in Britain.
He said: "I have been reinterviewing a number of the witnesses that were out in Portugal at the time."
He added that his investigation would tie in with the enquiry being conducted by the Spanish detective agency Metodo 3 in Barcelona.
Since four-year- old Madeleine's disappearance, well-wishers have contributed over £1million to the fund to help find her.
The McCanns have spent much of this money on Metodo 3, which is being paid £50,000 a month to lead the search for their daughter.
[..]
But yesterday a source close to the family said that Kate and Gerry were keeping faith with Metodo 3 in spite of their concerns.
But the source confirmed that they have also authorised the employment of Mr Hogan to coordinate the UK end of the investigation.
Metodo 3 are currently trying to re-interview an Irish family who said they saw a man carrying away a child on the night Madeleine disappeared.
unquote

PeterMac wrote:If he was in Surrey Police for 4 years and the Met for 8, it is extremely unlikely that he was a detective Superintendent when he left.
2 years Probation - uniform patrol.
Transfer to CID at earliest opportunity, first as Aide, ( 4 months)   then Temp, (further 6 months) then DC, and get sent on the Detective Training Course
That is roughly three and half years.
Transfer to Met, go back in uniform.
DC within a year, possible but unlikely given the pressure of competition from Met officers,  DSgt after another 2,  . .
Detective Inspector is about the upper limit within that time scale.

But since when did anything about the story make sense ?

tigger wrote:Saturday, 23 August 2008

Charlotte Pennington, Noel Hogan and Metodo 3

On January 2008, according to the investigation files from the DVD given to journalists, a police officer from Leicestershire Constabulary (Graham Michael) spoke with Charlotte Pennington (a former nanny from Ocean Club) in UK. She told that she had no additional information to give and confirmed the statement she had made to PJ, while still in Portugal.

Charlotte Pennington also said that she spoke to a British private investigator, Noel Hogan, working on behalf of Metodo 3. She assured Graham Michael that she only relayed to Noel Hogan the same information she gave to Polícia Judiciária, in Portugal, and to Leicestershire Police, on August 2007.

Duarte Levy and Paulo Reis

No Fate Worse Than De'Ath wrote:Tigger, his company website says that Hogan International is the trading name of Hogan & Co (Investigations and Security) Ltd; company number 2045318.