SOS Madeleine McCann: Metodo 3 under investigation in a case of embezzlement and money laundering.

http://sosmaddie.dhblogs.be/

2/02/09

Metodo 3, the Catalan detective agency hired by Kate and Gerry McCann to look for their daughter Madeleine, is today cited in a large scale investigation launched by the Spanish authorities involving six ministers of the Generalitat of Catalonia.(*)

According to a memo from the prosecutor's office, in recent years, the Catalan government, has allegedly commissioned and paid for a significant number of reports that seem to have no purpose or interest, quoting by way of an example, "the socio-economic enquiry on hazelnut farming," commissioned to the Metodo 3 detective agency for the modest sum of 30,000 Euros.

According to the prosecutor's office in charge of the investigation, we will be looking at a case of embezzlement and money laundering.

The Spanish authorities' investigation follows accusations by the "clean hands," collective and targets a case of embezzlement and money laundering, as confirmed by the prosecutor's office.

Metodo 3: after Maddie, the search for hazelnuts.

It was the Agriculture adviser, the socialist, Joaquim Llena, who commissioned from Francisco Marco - director of Metodo 3 - a "socio-economic enquiry into hazelnut farming," costing 30,000 Euros.

According to a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office, "only the name of the agency linked to such an investigation, drove the investigators to wonder about the real purpose envisioned by the adviser's commission."

According to a source close to the investigation, the report presented by Metodo 3 about the Tarragona region, the region in Spain that produces most hazelnuts, was allegedly copied word for word from the internet, information elsewhere confirmed by "El Confidencial," which states that Metodo 3 allegedly copied word for word a report previously published by the region's official newspaper on its internet site.

In Spain, Metodo 3 has already been linked to other scandals linked to the world of politics and finance and, recently, has been investigated for its work in the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance where one of Francisco Marco's close associates, António Jimenez, has been accused of having taken several British journalists to meet witnesses, who were paid in advance to say that they had seen the little British girl in Morocco. Metodo 3's associate, head of the Maddie investigation was, thereafter, arrested in a case of trafficking and theft of cocaine.

According to sources linked to the legitimate Metodo 3, several detectives in its service have called into question Francisco Marco's competence in the Madeleine McCann investigation, accusing him of having destroyed the agency's credibility, notably after having set up a disastrous communication strategy.

According to the prosecutor's office, the embezzlement and money laundering could involve huge amounts of public money.

Duarte Levy & A. Finkelstein

2/02/09

(* The Generalitat de Catalunya ("Government of Catalonia") is the institution under which the Spanish Autonomous Community of Catalonia is politically organised. It consists of the Parliament, the President of the Generalitat and the Executive Council or Government of Catalonia.)

The McCanns would be happy for the case to be archived.

Maddie: parents seraient contents si le procès est archivé

Clarence Mitchell, le responsable en communication qui représente Kate et Gerry McCann, s’est congratulée hier à propos d’une éventuelle possibilité de que les autorités portugaises décident d’archiver l’enquête à la disparition de Madeleine.

Clarence Mitchell, media spokesperson representing Kate and Gerry McCann, congratulated himself yesterday on the real possibility that the Portuguese authorities will decide to archive the enquiry into Madeleine's disappearance.

L’ancien responsable de l’Unité de Surveillance des Médias du gouvernement britannique, avec qui il maintien des étroites relations dans le cadre du dossier McCann, parlais hier à Dublin pendant la conférence annuelle de l’Institut de Relations Publiques d’Irlande (PRII) ou il était le principal orateur.

The former head of the British government's Media Monitoring Unit, with whom he maintains close relations in the context of the McCann case, was speaking in Dublin yesterday during the annual conference of the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII) where he was the main speaker.

"S'ils vont archiver le dossier, alors, dans un sens ce serait le bienvenu, car cela voudrait dire que Kate et Gerry seraient éliminés de l'enquête," à dit Clarence Mitchell.

"If they were going to archive the file, then, in one sense that would be welcome, because that would say that Kate and Gerry were eliminated from the enquiry," said Clarence Mitchell.

Les nouvelles déclarations de Clarence Mitchell ont été accueillies au Portugal avec surprise car, selon une source du Ministère Publique, "il n’y a aucune intention des autorités portugaises d’abandonner l’enquête. N’oublions pas que l’objectif primordial du travail de la police est de retrouver Madeleine, c’est’ elle la victime. "

Clarence Mitchell's new statements were welcomed in Portugal with surprise because, according to a source at the Public Ministry, "There is no intention for the Portuguese authorities to abandon the enquiry. Don't forget that the main objective of the police work is to find Madeleine. She is the victim."

Selon Clarence Mitchell, la famille McCann considère la démission d'Alipio Ribeiro de la PJ et ses commentaires à propos de l’enquête comme un signe de que la disparition de Madeleine ne sera jamais élucidé. Le porte parole à encore fait appel aux autorités en charge de l’enquête leur demandant de "remettre leurs dossier aux investigateurs privées".

According to Clarence Mitchell, the McCann family looks on the resignation of Alipio Ribeiro from the PJ and his comments about the enquiry as a sign that Madeleine's disappearance will never be cleared up. The spokesman again called on the authorities in charge of the investigation, asking them to, "hand over their files to the private investigators."

Pour rappel, la Police Judiciaire, au Portugal, et la Police du Leicestershire, au Royaume-Uni, sont les responsables des investigations à la disparition de Madeleine McCann. Plusieurs autres corps de police, notamment en Espagne, au Pays-Bas, en Belgique et au Maroc, sans oublier Interpol, ont étés liés à l’enquête.

As a reminder, the PJ in Portugal, and the Leicestershire police, in the United Kingdom, are responsible for the investigations into Madeleine McCanns disappearance. Several other police forces, notably in Spain, in the Netherlands, in Belgium and in Morocco, not forgetting Interpol, have been linked to the enquiry.

"C'est insoutenable. Ils doivent donner l'information de leurs dossiers à nos investigateurs privés ainsi ils peuvent continuer à rechercher Madeleine," à dit Clarence Mitchell.

"This is unsustainable. They must give the information from their files to our private investigators so that they can continue to search for Madeleine," said Clarence Mitchell.

L’agence de Barcelone, Metodo 3, après plus de six mois d’investigations, à été mise à mal publiquement par les déclarations de son directeur, Francisco Marco, qui avait promis le retour de Madeleine "à temps pour la fête de noël" de 2007. L’arrestation d’un des détectives, accusé du vol de plusieurs centaines de kilos de cocaïne, parmi d’autres accusations, et la révélation de qu’il y aurait eu des témoins payés au Maroc, ont dénigrée encore plus l’image de Metodo 3.

The Barcelona agency, Metodo 3, after six months of investigations, was undermined publicly by the statements of its director, Francisco Marco, who had promised Madleine's return, "in time for Christmas." of 2007. The arrest of one of the detectives, charged with theft of several hundred kilos of cocaine, amongst other charges, and the revelation that they had paid witnesses in Morocco, disparaged the image of Metodo 3 even more.

Internet et le Daily Express ont été la solution

The internet and the Daily Express were the solution.

http://sosmaddie.dhblogs.be/

10/05/08

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Well, Clarence, it doesn't look like the case is about to be archived. Alipio Ribeiro said the enquiry could go on for years. His successor has said that the PJ don't give up. Also, Clarence, even if the McCanns were not arguidos, I don't think the police would hand over confidential files to them. Those files will contain not just information about and collected from the McCanns, but statements from and about other people who have been involved or gave statements about the case. It would hardly be acceptable, especially under UK law, Data Protection Act and all, for that information to be handed over to a private company. I don't think it's gonna happen Clarrie!

Knowing Maddie's fate depends on the McCanns' return (SOS Madeleine McCann)

http://sosmaddie.dhblogs.be/

Connaître le sort de Maddie dépend du retour des McCann

Absents de Praia da Luz pour le premier anniversaire de la disparition de leur fille Madeleine, Kate et Gerry McCann ont, une nouvelle fois, été invités par la Police Judiciaire à retourner au Portugal afin d’y participer à la reconstitution de leurs mouvements le jour et la nuit du 3 mai de l’année passé.

Absent from Praia da Luz for the first anniversary of their daughter Madeleine's disappearance, Kate and Gerry McCann, once again, are invited to return to Portugal by the PJ to participate in the reconstruction of their movements on the day and the night of May 3rd last year.

Le couple, qui n’est plus retourné au Portugal depuis qu’ils ont été constitués arguidos dans l’enquête à la disparition de Madeleine et leur immédiat retour à Rothley, continue à refuser tout déplacement malgré l’importance accordé par la police portugaise et britannique à cette reconstitution que permettrait de faire évoluer les investigations.

The couple, who have not been back to Portugal since they were made arguidos in the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance and their immediate return to Rothley, continue to refuse to go in spite of the importance placed on this reconstruction by Portuguese and British police, which would allow them to make progress with the investigations.

Hier, Alipio Ribeiro, directeur nationale de la Police Judiciaire (PJ) à réaffirmé l’importance du retour des McCann à Praia da Luz dans le cadre de l’enquête, soulignant que Kate et Gerry doivent se plier aux exigences de la loi portugaise.

Yesterday, Alipio Ribeiro, national director of the PJ reaffirmed the importance of the McCanns' return to Praia da Luz within the framework of the enquiry, stressing that Kate and Gerry must comply with the requirements of Portuguese law.

Une opinion partagé à Enderby (Leicestershire – RU) où plusieurs officiers britanniques ont confirmé l’importance du retour de Kate et Gerry McCann, accompagnés des sept amis du couple, à Praia da Luz : "Connaître le sort de Madeleine peux dépendre de leur retour et de leur participation aux diverses diligences demandées par la police," à dit un des officiers.

An opinion shared in Enderby (Leicestershire - UK) where several British police officers confirmed the importance of Kate and Gerry McCann's return, accompanied by the couple's seven friends, to Praia da Luz: "Knowing Madeleine's fate may depend on their return and their participation in the various activities requested by the police," said one of the police officers.

Jusqu’ici, malgré les affirmations contradictoires de leur avocat au Portugal et de leur chargé en communication au Royaume-Uni, Kate et Gerry McCann ont toujours refusé d’effectuer le voyage, imposant comme condition à leur retour que leur statut d’arguidos soit levé.

Until now, in spite of contradictory statements by their lawyer in Portugal and their Media spokesman in the UK, Kate and Gerry McCann have always refused to undertake the journey, imposing the condition on their return that their arguido status is lifted.

Contrairement aux McCann, Robert Murat, l’autre arguido dans l’enquête, à manifesté sa totale disponibilité pour participer aux nouvelles diligences demandées par les enquêteurs, comme le confirme son avocat, Maître Francisco Pagarete.

Unlike the mcCanns, Robert Murat, the other arguido in the enquiry, has shown his total willingness to participate in the new activities requested by the investigators, as his lawyer, Me Francisco Pagarete confirms.

Murat, voisin du complexe touristique de la Mark Warner, était devenue arguido dans l’enquête à la disparition de Madeleine après avoir été dénoncé par deux autres britanniques, parmi elles la journaliste Lori Campbell, qui continue à accompagner l’affaire McCann pour le tabloïde The Mirror.

Murat, a neighbour of the Mark Warner tourist complex, became an arguido in the enquiry into Madeleine's disappearance after being denounced by two other British people, one of them being the journalist Lori Campbell, who continues to follow the McCann case for the tabloid The Mirror.

"J’ai trouvé très étrange qu’il parle beaucoup de la fillette, surtout du travail de la police et de l’état de l’enquête. Par ailleurs, il était très flou sur son passé", avait raconté Lori Campbell aux autres journalistes après avoir fait part de ses soupçons à la police britannique et à l’ambassade du Royaume-Uni au Portugal, qui ne s’est pas privé d’intervenir dans l’enquête de la PJ.

"I found it strange that he talked a lot about the little girl, especially about the work of the police and the status of the investigation. Also, he was very vague about his past," Lori Campbell had told other journalists after having shared her suspicions with the British police and the UK ambassador to Portugal, who did not hesitate to intervene in the PJ enquiry.

Brian Kennedy avait rencontré Murat

Les enquêteurs de la Police Judiciaire et leurs collègues britanniques s’interrogent toujours à propos des réelles intentions du multimillionnaire Brian Kennedy après la récente révélation de que celui-ci est retournée au Portugal, à la fin de l’année passé, pour y rencontrer Robert Murat, un des arguidos de l’enquête à la disparition de Madeleine McCann.

Brian Kennedy had met Murat.

The PJ investigators and their British colleagues still question the actual intentions of the multi-millionaire Brian Kennedy after the recent revelation that he returned to Portugal at the end of last year, to meet Robert Murat, one of the arguidos in the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

Le multimillionnaire soutient financièrement Kate et Gerry McCann depuis plusieurs mois, c’est lui qui prends en charge une partie des honoraires et frais de l’agence de détectives espagnole Metodo 3 et la totalité des salaires de Clarence Mitchell, le responsable en communication du couple.

The multi-millionaire has been supporting Kate and Gerry McCann financially for several months. It is he who pays a portion of the fees of the Spanish detective agency, Metodo 3 and the whole salary of Clarence Mitchell, the couple's media spokesman.

Avec nouveau contrat Metodo 3 "se doit de penser que Maddie est en vie

L’agence de détectives Metodo 3, basé à Barcelone, à vu le contrat avec Kate et Gerry McCann prolongée pour six mois de plus, comme l’a confirmée son directeur, Francisco Marco, dans une entrevue à la télévision espagnole.

With a new contract Metodo 3 must think that Maddie is alive.

The detective agency Metodo 3, based in Barcelona, has had its contract with Kate and Gerry McCann extended for six more months, as confirmed by their director, Francisco Marco, in an interview for Spanish television.

Plus prudent que par le passé, le controversé directeur de Metodo 3 n’a pas affirmé catégoriquement que Madeleine soit toujours en vie, comme il l’avait fait à plusieurs reprises par le passé. Selon Francisco Marco, quand il parle à la famille de Madeleine il se doit de penser que l’enfant est encore en vie sinon "il est très difficile de faire son travail."

More circumspect than in the past, the controversial director of Metodo 3 did not state categorically that Madeleine was alive, as he had done several times in the past. According to Francisco Marco, when he talks to Madeleine's family he must believe that the child is still alive otherwise, "it is very difficult to work for them."

Francisco Marco à encore affirmé que son équipe aurait suivi des signalements de Maddie dans 25 à 30 pays, sans toutefois préciser comment son agence, très limité en personnel, aurait pu le faire.

Francisco Marco further stated that his team had followed up sightings of Maddie in 25 to 30 countries, without being precise about how his agency, of very limited staff, could have done this.

Pour le directeur de Metodo 3, "les parents de Madeleine sont absolument innocents" même si le détective reconnaît baser base son opinion sur ses convictions personnelles prises après avoir vu le comportement des parents avec les deux autres enfants du couple (Sean et Amélie) et un entretien de cinq minutes avec Kate McCann.

For the director of Metodo 3, "Madeleine's parents are completely innocent," even if the detective admits basing his opinion on his personal convictions after having seen the parents' behaviour towards the couple's two other children (Sean and Amelie) and a five minute interview with Kate McCann.

"Ils étaient dans un pays étranger, ne parlaient pas la langue, alors quand leur enfant a disparu leur première réaction a été de prendre contact avec des personnes et les médias au Royaume-Uni," à conclu Francisco Marco.

"They were in a strange country, did not speak the language, so when their child disappeared their first reaction was to make contact with people and the media in the UK," concluded Francisco Marco.

Nouveau cas de négligence par des parents britanniques à Algarve

Un nouveau cas de négligence, mettant en cause un couple de nationalité irlandaise et ses trois enfants, devra être examiné aujourd’hui par le Tribunal de Faro (Algarve). Selon le magistrat de permanence, la GNR - l’équivalent de l’ancienne gendarmerie belge - à été alerté ce week-end par le personnel d’un hôtel de Loulé signalant la présence d’un couple complètement ivre, dans un état proche du coma éthylique, en compagnie de trois enfants.

A new case of negligence by British parents in the Algarve.

A new case of negligence, involving a couple of Irish nationality and their three children, will be examined today by the court in Faro (Algarve) According to the residing magistrate, the GNR - the equivalent of the former Belgian gendarmerie - were alerted this weekend by staff at a Loulé hotel, reporting the presence of a totally drunk couple, close to a state of alcoholic coma, accompanied by three children.

Constatant l’état des parents, les agents de la police ont pris en charge les trois enfants, un bébé d’un an et ses frères de trois et six ans, jusqu’à l’arrivée d’une assistante sociale.

Noting the state of the parents, the police officers took charge of the three children, a one year-old baby and his two brothere aged three and six, until a social worker arrived.

Pendant que le couple, de 32 et 35 ans, a été conduit sans connaissance par une ambulance vers l’hôpital de Loulé (Algarve), les enfants, après avoir été examinés par un médecin, ont été confiées au Refúgio Aboim Ascensão, un centre d’accueil et d’aide à l’enfance, où ils sont arrivés vers cinq heures du matin.

While the couple, aged 32 and 35, were taken unconscious by ambulance to the Loulé hospital (Algarve), the children, after having been examined by a doctor, were admitted to the Refúgio Aboim Ascensão, a reception centre for helping children, where they arrived around five o'clock in the morning.

Le même jour ou, à Praia da Luz, ont signalait le premier anniversaire de la disparition de Madeleine McCann, que ses parents avaient laissé sans surveillance dans leur appartement de vacances, ce nouveau cas de négligence renforce la conviction des autorités portugaises de qu’il est nécessaire sensibiliser les milliers de touristes, à majorité des britanniques que chaque année choisissent le sud du Portugal pour ces vacances, à propos des consignes de sécurité à prendre avec des enfants.

On the same day when, in Praia da Luz, the first anniversary was marked of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, whose parents had left her without supervision in their holiday apartment, this new case of negligence reinforced the conviction of the Portuguese authorities that it is necessary to make the thousands of tourists, the majority British who each year choose the south of Portugal for their holidays, aware of the security measures to take with their children.

Malgré la mise en danger des enfants, le magistrat du Ministère Public (MP), contre l’avis du responsable du centre d’aide à l’enfance, a accordé que les parents puissent récupérez les enfants après leur sortie de l’hôpital. Le couple risque une peine de prison allant de 2 à 5 ans pour mise en danger, voire abandon d’enfants.

In spite of the children being put in danger, the magistrate of the Public Ministry (MP), against the opinion of the head of the centre for helping children, decided that the parents could recover their children after they left the hospital. The couple risk a prison sentence of 2 to 5 years for placing children in danger by abandoning them.

Selon Luis Villas-Boas, responsable du centre d’accueil et d’aide à l’enfance, "il s’agit d’un cas grave de négligence" ou, heureusement, un drame à été évité grâce à la réaction du personnel de l’hôtel qui avait fait appel aux pompiers et à la police.

According to Luis Villas-Boas, head of the centre for helping children, "it is a serious case of negligence," where happily, a tragedy has been averted thanks to the reaction of the hotel staff who had called the fire service and the police.

Selon les agents de la police locale, dans le frigo de l’appartement de vacances occupé par cette famille il n’y avait rien de prévu pour les enfants, uniquement de l’alcool pour les parents.

According to the local police officers, in the fridge of the holiday apartment occupied by this family there was nothing planned for the children, only alcohol for the parents.

L’information est reprise aujourd’hui par la presse britannique et portugaise ou, une fois encore, ont constate la différence de traitement donné par les journalistes des deux pays : si les portugais ont gardé l’habituel anonymat du couple, la presse britannique n’a pas hésité à divulguer l’identité des parents et, par conséquence, des enfants.

The information was taken up today by the British and Portuguese press where, once again, the difference in treatment by journalists of the two countries, was noted: if the Portuguese maintained the usual anonymity of the couple, the British press did not hesitate to divulge the identity of the parents and, as a consequence, of the children.

http://sosmaddie.dhblogs.be/

5/05/08