McCanns lodge legal bid

Canine Truth ‏@K9Truth  · 10h10 hours ago  

Madeleine fund won't be used for legal fees (From Wirral Globe)
Said McVey in 2007. No wonder she resigned.







http://m.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/1695404.Madeleine_fund_won_t_be_used_for_legal_fees

I'm actually wondering whether they're looking for a cost to attribute to the Madeleine Fund in order to explain away its dwindling balance, and perhaps paying legal fees is the lesser or two evils when it comes to reporting?

Let's say the money in the Madeleine Fund was used for, shall we say, even less legitimate purposes than funding the court case. And they need to bury those reasons.Let's say, for instance, just for the sake of argument and purely a hypothesis, that they've siphoned a certain amount of money off and hidden it in an offshore account for their own purposes - or even just to hide it from potential access should they be forced to pay a rather large amount in court settlements, and they may wish to claim poverty as a reason not to.

Voila - the appeal. "Oh poor us, the Madeleine Fund has been depleted paying for all these legal things and we have no money at all, none! We can't possibly afford to pay anything!"

canada12 wrote:I'm actually wondering whether they're looking for a cost to attribute to the Madeleine Fund in order to explain away its dwindling balance, and perhaps paying legal fees is the lesser or two evils when it comes to reporting?

Let's say the money in the Madeleine Fund was used for, shall we say, even less legitimate purposes than funding the court case. And they need to bury those reasons.Let's say, for instance, just for the sake of argument and purely a hypothesis, that they've siphoned a certain amount of money off and hidden it in an offshore account for their own purposes - or even just to hide it from potential access should they be forced to pay a rather large amount in court settlements, and they may wish to claim poverty as a reason not to.

Voila - the appeal. "Oh poor us, the Madeleine Fund has been depleted paying for all these legal things and we have no money at all, none! We can't possibly afford to pay anything!"

They have assets surely. What is their house worth?

A shrewd legal adviser would have long ago suggested that the house be put in someone else's name to avoid just such a measure.

Who's name could they use? Is their anyone they could totally trust with their assets?

froggy wrote:Who's name could they use?  Is their anyone they could totally trust with their assets?

Clare and Clarence Mitchell.

Haha!  

I suppose they could have the house in trust for the twins?  But they possibly may have a mortgage on it?

Weren't the twins named in this action against Amarel? That would still place the house at risk.

They did have a hefty mortgage in '07, so unless it has been paid off by some means it will still exist

froggy wrote:Weren't the twins named in this action against Amarel?  That would still place the house at risk.

They did have a hefty mortgage in '07, so unless it has been paid off by some means it will still exist

Now that is something (another thing )  that I have never understood.
The twins were named in this action, even though they are minors.  
What responsibility would minors have regarding funds?
Would it be down to parents/guardians to make financial decisions on their behalf?  
Also would those parents/guardians be held accountable. - a sort of Power of Attorney status?
Just curious.

They could put the house in anyone's name. Even with a mortgage they could sell the house to a relative. A legal representative. A private company numbered company. The new owners get their own mortgage. Nothing to do with the McCanns anymore - they're just allowed to live there by the grace of the new owners.

Another one of those 'I could've dreamt it up' things -

- but I have a feeling that somewhere, somehow, another poster

found out that the McCann mortgage had been paid off in full.

Any recollections of this, anyone else?

I did actually check out Land Registry myself maybe four years ago - yes, I am a sad person - and the mortgage had not then been paid off. I have not heard anything to the contrary since then.

If the mortgage is still active the house must still be in the names of K and G, unless someone has come forward to undertake the mortgage in their own name. This is known as a Transfer of Equity and must be agreed by the mortgage company who must be satisfied that the new mortgagees can support the debt. Unless the new people are rich enough to own their own house outright, this would compromise any existing mortgage on their own property.

The McCann's original mortgage was with Northern Rock. That company was notorious for giving loans at more than 100% loan to value, meaning they would lend more than the house was worth which led to negative equity and meant huge monthly mortgage and loan payments. That bank was the first to collapse and triggered the economic crash in Britain in 2007. People who struggled to get a 'normal' mortgage often turned to Northern Rock as the most sympathetic (and, it turned out, a very incautious) lender.

Of course,  I don't know if the McCanns fell into this 'desperate' category,  but people who claimed Northern Rock as their mortgage company tended to raise the eyebrows of other lenders within the industry.  As in, 'Why did you need a Northern Rock mortgage? '. Not all Northern Rock customers had over 100% LTV mortgages,  however, many had equity in their properties. The McCanns could well have fallen into this latter bracket.

After the collapse of Northern Rock, their mortgage book was taken on by the government. It is possible the McCanns subsequently remortgaged - swapped lender - many people do to get a better 'deal' on their mortgage.

I think it unlikely that, if a mortgage still exists, the house will not be in the McCann's name, however.

Dee Coy quote' I think it unlikely that, if a mortgage still exists, the house will not be in the McCanns name, however.

My thoughts too.

Not sure if you want a new thread for this... But this has just come out in the Sun now.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/7188989/Ex-Madeleine-McCann-cop-who-wrote-controversial-book-claiming-toddlers-body-was-dumped-at-sea-goes-on-trial-over-violent-robberies.html

Andrew wrote:Not sure if you want a new thread for this... But this has just come out in the Sun now.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/7188989/Ex-Madeleine-McCann-cop-who-wrote-controversial-book-claiming-toddlers-body-was-dumped-at-sea-goes-on-trial-over-violent-robberies.html

Nothing coming up on that link Andrew for me.

Works for me. Will copy and paste it up..

Ex Madeleine McCann cop who wrote controversial book claiming toddler's body was dumped at sea goes on trial over violent robberies
Paulo Pereira Cristovao made headlines after writing a book calling for the McCanns to be arrested and claiming the toddler was dead.

A FORMER Portuguese cop who claimed Madeleine McCann is dead and her body had been dumped at sea has gone on trial over a string of violent robberies allegedly carried out by criminals posing as police officers.

Paulo Pereira Cristovao, a pal of disgraced ex PJ detective Goncalo Amaral, was accused by a co-defendant of helping to mastermind two of the home raids on the opening day of the trial yesterday.

Nuno Vieira Mendes said he and Pereira Cristovao waited outside both properties while alleged accomplices with false search warrants went in posing as police officers and stole thousands of pounds.


The ex-cop made headlines after writing a book calling for the McCanns to be arrested and claiming the toddler was dead and her body had been dumped at sea.

Pereira Cristovao, who left the PJ after a torture trial Amaral was also implicated in, was arrested two years ago and accused of marking out wealthy victims for accomplices who tricked their way into homes in police uniform.

Eighteen suspects are now on trial for a string of crimes including membership of a criminal gang, robbery, kidnap, possession of a prohibited weapon and abuse of power, include three police officers and a drugs trafficker.

The 48-year-old has been a constant critic of Kate and Gerry McCann and called for them to be arrested for leaving their children alone in their Algarve holiday apartment after Madeleine vanished in May 3 2007.

Pereira Cristovao, who left the PJ after a torture trial Amaral was also implicated in, was arrested two years ago and accused of marking out wealthy victims for accomplices who tricked their way into homes in police uniform
Pereira Cristovao, who left the PJ after a torture trial Amaral was also implicated in, was arrested two years ago and accused of marking out wealthy victims for accomplices who tricked their way into homes in police uniform.


He claimed in a 2008 book called The Star of Madeleine that the toddler was dead and her body had been dumped at sea.

His novel - based on the real police investigation which he claimed was hampered by interference from British authorities - ended with two fictional officers gazing out at the Atlantic Ocean following a huge land search.

He mysteriously claimed two of the McCanns’ holiday pals - the so-called Tapas Seven - were “fundamental” to discovering the truth about Madeleine.

The couple’s spokesman Clarence Mitchell called his comments "hurtful and distressing" and accused him of trying to profit from the McCanns’ misfortune.

The ex-cop admitted at the novel’s launch in Portugal: “I am sure Madeleine’s parents will not like the book.”

In a thinly-veiled criticism of Britain’s political involvement in the case, he added: “In their shoes, I’d behave in exactly the same way as they did during the investigation.

“I would defend myself with all the weapons I could use. The difference is that some have more weapons than others.”



Pereira Cristovao wrote his book ahead of his 2009 trial for torturing the mum and uncle of a missing girl into making a false confession while he was still a PJ inspector.

He went on to head Portugal’s association for missing children after being acquitted.

Pal Goncalo Amaral, who recently overturned a libel damages ruling over his best-selling book The Truth of The Lie which the McCanns are appealing, was found guilty of falsifying evidence in the same case.

Joana Cipriano vanished aged eight from Figueira, seven miles from Praia da Luz where Madeleine was staying, in September 2004.

Her mum Leonor and uncle Joao were sentenced to 16 years for murdering her despite their claims they had been tortured into falsely admitting blame.

Judges ruled Leonor had been injured at the PJ station in Faro - where Portuguese police are now helping Scotland Yard detectives probing Madeleine’s disappearance - but could not say how she sustained her wounds.

Pereira Cristovao’s lawyer said after his arrest over the home raids in March 2015 that client confidentiality prevented him from speaking out against many of the “false claims made against him.”

He declined to give evidence at the opening of the high-profile trial yesterday/on Wednesday which is scheduled to resume on June 22.

Last week Pereira Cristovao received a suspended four-and-a-half year prison sentence after being convicted of crimes including embezzlement while he was the vice-president of leading Portuguese football club Sporting.

Deleted, you beat me to it Andrew

The Star piping up with it as well...

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/520155/Madeleine-McCann-cop-trial-violent-robberies-Portugal-controversial-book

Oh dear, the word disgraced has popped up again for Goncalo Amaral too.

I am probably having a senior moment but I don't recall the book written by Paolo Cristovao.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-538008/Madeleine-novel-Now-disgraced-police-chief-claims-girls-body-dumped-sea-new-book.html

I like the heading here "Madeleine the novel" - it applies equally to KM's later work of fiction!

The Star of Madeleine was the book IIRC??  Something about a star anyway

Yes.

Cristovao's novel, The Star Of Madeleine, follows two fictional police officers as they attempt to unravel the mystery.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-538008/Madeleine-novel-Now-disgraced-police-chief-claims-girls-body-dumped-sea-new-book.html#ixzz4APxAyLbu 
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

"A Estrela de Madeleine " is Cristovao's book. It's a novel, based on the files. I've read and enjoyed it.

It also posed the riddle of 'the Luz Key' - the four numbers that could solve the mystery.

"The 5, The 2, the 3 and the 1."

Disgraceful is the word for these tactics to bury bad news by attacking the good ones. Why would any journalist worth his salt let himself to be used something so disgusting?

Châtelaine wrote:Disgraceful is the word for these tactics to bury bad news by attacking the good ones. Why would any journalist worth his salt let himself to be used something so disgusting?

..... for a few extra ££££'s.

The McCanns will do anything they can now. Re-hash an 8 year old story with an update and link it to Goncalo Amaral, with the objective of discrediting him.

Remember the Mc's are fighting for their lives at the moment. Any tactic will do and there will be a few more that they will dish out soon as well I shall imagine.