Madeleine McCann and that Scotland Yard review / Investigation in full.......

In case you’ve missed the news, the Ace detectives are closing in.

They’re working through their “list of suspects”, about to interview “many persons of interest”; are actively “probing new leads” and, apparently, the “hunt is making good progress”.

Thus far, Scotland Yard has stopped short of stating that Madeleine McCann will be home for Christmas, as was once famously decreed on television by the EARLIER hired help, METODO 3, but there's time yet.

That ridiculous assertion aside, there’s little to separate the Yard’s apparent lines of inquiry from the other, concocted avenues of investigation, as pursued by the seemingly innumerable private detective agencies placed in the employ of the parents of the most famous missing child of all time.

In case you’ve forgotten, METODO 3 were the Spanish Detective Agency drafted in by the McCanns to usurp the Polícia Judiciária, the official investigators into the case of missing Madeleine, once the Portuguese authorities started turning their attention to the McCann’s themselves.

Funded by many hundreds of thousands of pounds from kind donors to the ‘Looking for Madeleine’ Fund, (along with other resources), this small time Spanish debt collection agency came up with some BIG time fables:-

From the swarthy vagabonds of Morocco, to the foothills of African drug hideouts; from Arab paedophiles to the bustling streets of Bosnia; our intrepid heroes were, seemingly, hot on the trails of Madeleine’s “abductors”, flying from one destination to the next.

Once it transpired, however, that the several hundred thousand pounds lavished on the company had returned, precisely NOTHING, and critics in the press were starting to question their veracity, their services were dispensed with, or at least limited, from around mid 2008.

The Spanish hotshots were last heard of being uncomfortably embroiled in illegal Political espionage, phone tapping allegations, drug smuggling and money laundering.

Not to be deterred by one charlatan, however, the McCann’s then turned to what was described as an un-named “secret” AMERICAN detective agency, composed of, (according to the Telegraph), "ex- FBI and CIA agents who were offered a contract of £500,000”.

“These really are the big boys." A ‘friend’ of Kate McCann was quoted as saying.

This particular company, eventually metamorphosing into and revealed to be Oakley International, was headed by Kevin Halligen, a man now enjoying notoriety for being imprisoned for fraud on a huge, multi-million Dollar scale.

Big boys, indeed!

There has, in total, been an estimated SIX firms of private detectives/agencies/mercenaries, etc involved in the search for Madeleine.

It has been alleged that several of them were involved in intimidating witnesses or paying for individuals to make false “sightings”; i.e.; to allege that they had seen the little girl or someone closely resembling her at some specified location or another.

Of course, at present, those allegations cannot be categorically proven.

What CAN be proven, however, is that amongst the very many stories, sightings and escapades that these detective agencies profess to have been involved in, not ONE of them has a single iota of credibility or evidence to substantiate them. 

Stories that generated a great many column inches and broadcast news reports in the Media.

Stories of Madeleine being abducted by Middle Eastern perverts.... Moroccan Gangsters...Saudi Arabian paedophile rings....Bosnian mobsters......Robert Murat look-alikes......African ‘steal-to-order’ child-nappers......dead or dying Sex offenders and nefarious Gypsies.......not to mention the innumerable “absolute certain” sightings in Belgium, Malta, Spain, France, Britain, Brazil, the Netherlands, New Zealand and India; ALL linked by a single, inarguable factor:-

Not ONE of them has a single shred of tangible evidence to support them.

But NOW, seemingly, that is all about to change.

For NOW, after investigations conducted by the Portuguese Police, (along with the Leicestershire Police), and the detective agencies listed above, the McCann’s have procured the services of the Metropolitan Police’s infamous SCOTLAND YARD, surely THE vanguard of investigative agencies everywhere.

Quite how the Met became embroiled in this is a story all on its own, of course.

Ostensibly commissioned to undertake a “review of the case so far" by Premier David Cameron, as an act of kindness to the McCann’s, (an act which is without precedent whatsoever in the annals of Police or political history); this actually only came about when pressure was exerted by the Rupert MURDOCH press, via correspondences between former News International Chief executive Rebekah Brooks, Cameron and Home Secretary Theresa May where Brook allegedly THREATENED, (or “persuaded”, as Brooks herself confessed to the Leveson report), to ensure that MAY and others in the Cabinet got bad front-page Press unless the review was ordered:-

Brooks: "I was certainly part of a strategy to launch a campaign in order to get a review for the McCanns," Brooks says, disputing that it was a "threat".

Leveson: "Give me another word for it, would you?"

Brooks: "Persuade?"

Whoever, however or whatever, the astonishing fact remains that the McCann’s have managed to enlist the services of what has, for many years, been widely regarded as one of the finest Police forces in the world after the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom was “persuaded” to order them to undertake an “investigative review” of their case.

As I type this, the current state of affairs is this:-

Operation Grange, as Scotland Yard’s undertaking is called, is moving from a “review” inquiry to an “investigative” inquiry, headed by Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood of Scotland Yard’s Homicide and Serious Command.

The McCann’s themselves are said to be “satisfied”, “grateful” and “delighted” for the Met’s involvement, and to “warmly welcome it”, presumably not least for the fact that Redwood states he rejected the "conspiracy theories" about the parents' involvement and was focusing on "a criminal act by a stranger."

Redwood has also been quoted as saying
“We continue to believe there is a possibility that Madeleine is alive”.

How this investigation will unfold can only remain to be seen.

For the record, and not for the FIRST time, I want to put my position on this case in print:-

I have NO idea what happened to Madeleine McCann in Praia da Luz in May 2007.

I wasn’t there.

Furthermore, the testimonies of those that WERE there widely contradict each other, as a consequence of which it is impossible to derive an accurate picture of what happened.

What I WILL say is that I believe, having studied the available Police files, Rogatory statements and contributory documentation, witness statements and testimonies, including those made by the McCann’s themselves, (as well as those of their friends); that the events, circumstances and situations that they describe, and which they and their seemingly endless entourage of wealthy Lawyers, business friends, Politicians and PR companies continue to insist happened; cannot possibly have occurred.

Additionally, evidence unquestionably exists which suggests a cover up or, at the very least, an obfuscation of the facts relating to the missing girl.

Furthermore, I also firmly believe that, were anyone else to undertake the same studies, they too would arrive at the same conclusions.

That is NOT to say that I believe that the McCann’s murdered their daughter or that they were complicit in any one of the innumerable theories that proliferate on the internet.

Just that, like many unsolved cases, the Madeleine McCann case invariably poses more questions than answers.

And at the risk of FURTHER repeating myself, my main, overriding angst with this case is not that those questions remain unanswered;

It’s that they aren’t being asked.

I should ALSO like to place on record that I have very little faith in Scotland Yard’s “investigation”. It is clear from the Press quotations made by DCI Redwood that he intends to pursue the fabricated or redundant avenues of investigation as previously pursued by the agencies listed above.

Of course, it may well be that Redwood's men conduct a THOROUGH, proficient, professional and far-reaching investigation. 

In which case I will be MORE than willing to accept the Yards’ findings PROVIDED they can answer, and provide credible evidence and answers for, the following:-

When was Madeleine McCann abducted when, according to the testimonies and statements of the McCann’s and their friends, there was NO real ‘window’ of opportunity for her abduction to have taken place?

HOW was Madeleine abducted when the only conceivable, (and purported), method, was via a window far too small to pass through, especially if carrying a child?

Why is there NO forensic evidence of any abductor?

Why is the only purported evidence of an abduction, (Jane Tanners sighting of a ‘man’), contradicted by two other witnesses, INCLUDING Gerry McCann himself, and why has Tanner’s description of that ‘man’ changed on several occasions?

How and why has Operation Grange chosen to ignore the overwhelming evidence of the Enhanced Victim Recovery, (EVR), dogs which points to cadaverine and other suspicious fluids/substances being present in the McCann’s holiday apartment, as well as on many of the McCann’s personal possessions and in their hire car, and ONLY IN THOSE PLACES?

How does Scotland Yard propose to assert that those dogs were WRONG, when they have hitherto NEVER being wrong  where their services and skills contributed to solving very many cases investigated by many Constabularies across the UK and elsewhere?

Given the above, how and why does DCI Redwood “continue to believe there is a possibility that Madeleine is alive”?

Any 'investigation' or 'inquiry' that omits to address these few key questions can not be called either.

Moreover, it would be a whitewash.

Even WORSE, I do not rule out Scotland Yard “solving” this case. 

It has been my fear for some time that some unfortunate miscreant will “confess” to the abduction and murder of Madeleine. Perhaps, as I have hinted at in previous blogs, one of those now deceased perverts or convicted paedophiles that the tabloids like to point the finger of suspicion at will be deemed to have made an irrefutable "deathbed confession".

Even IF, (and I would genuinely and whole-heartedly rejoice along with everyone else were it the case), Madeleine McCann were actually FOUND alive and well, I would still assert that those questions above are valid and demand credible answers.

“SPUDGUN, you’re an evil, depraved NUT!”

Just one on the many regular, abusive emails/tweets that I receive on a daily basis.

“Who do you think you are, questioning or doubting the integrity of Scotland Yard. Are you THAT stupid and arrogant to think you’re better than them”?

Actually, no, I don’t purport for one second to be the equal of Scotland Yard, or any OTHER investigative body, for that matter.

But do I DOUBT them?

Well, permit me to refer you to theses previous, Scotland Yard “reviews and investigations”:-

“This case has been the subject of the most careful investigation by experienced detectives ... No additional evidence has come to light. I therefore consider no further investigation is required."

John Yates, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner, commenting on being asked to look further into PHONE TAPPING, just 2 years before almost SIX THOUSAND victims were revealed to have been tapped, along with the sale of information to Journalists often with the complicity of the Met Police, and 3 years before Brian Paddick, a former Acting Assistant Commissioner, took the stand at the Leveson inquiry to describe what he termed a general "culture of cover-up" at the Met.

How about Ray Adams, former Scotland Yard Commander who had tangible, established links to the Brink’s Mat Gold Bullion robbery and well known faces such as Kenny Noye and Clifford Norris, father of David Norris, convicted for the murder of Stephen Lawrence?

Or for obfuscation and cover ups at their very finest, have a look at the murder of Daniel Morgan whose family are still awaiting justice for his brutal murder. By the Yard’s own admission, there is:

 “Clear acknowledgment….that police corruption was, if not at the heart of the case, a contributing factor”.

From the murder and cover up of Blair Peach in 1979, through the cases of Damilola Taylor, Jill Dando, Jean Charles de Menzes to name but a FEW, up to the killing of Ian Tomlinson at the G20 Summit protests.

 

All these cases illustrate corruption, and sometime complicity, duplicity and invariably a COVER up by the Metropolitan Police.

So you will have to excuse me if I don’t share the same confidence as others in the Scotland Yard ‘investigation’.

Above all else, I am abundantly aware that this is a review/investigation the McCann’s desperately wanted. An outcome that, by her own admission, Rebekah Brooks campaigned for on the McCann’s behalf by using what was alleged to be “threats; what she preferred to call “persuasion”.

Such an investigation, if, or rather WHEN, it concludes that Madeleine was indeed, abducted by persons known or unknown, will serve as the official SEAL of approval; a final act of authoritative intervention, designed to STOP the theorising, the conjecture, the questions and the doubts.

In the light of that belief, it is difficult to see how Scotland Yard could come up with anything that contradicts what ‘Team McCann’ purports to be the official chain of events surrounding Madeleine’s disappearance.

Ah, yes. Finally, therein lays the REAL rub. Team McCann.

TEAM McCann.

What a team, indeed.

Elite lawyers, wealthy businessmen, Media Moguls, Icons, ‘A’ list to ‘Z’ list celebrities, Newspaper Columnists and Daytime TV presenters, Government Spokespersons, Ministers, Euro-Ministers, Members of Parliament, Tabloid and Broadsheet Editors, TV Producers...........

Oh, and THREE Prime Ministers!

What questions would all THEY have to answer, were Scotland Yard to uncover something along the lines of that which Team McCann have spent fortunes in suppressing in the Libel Courts?

It may well be that the truth cannot forever remain hidden.

But it is equally the case that a long time may pass before forever comes……….

Godbless Madeleine McCann, wherever you may be.