Madeleine McCann: Kevin Halligen Becomes The ‘Maddie Faudster’
MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann: KEVIN Halligen has been arrested. But his arrest has nothing to do with Halligen’s company Oakley International, which was paid £300,000 from campaign donations to find Madeleine McCann.
Halligan has been arrested over a separate alleged fraud. Police were called in light of a discrepancy over his bill at the Old Bank Hotel in Oxford.
Thames Valley Police said in a statement: “We arrested a 48-year-old man at the Old Bank Hotel in Oxford. It was a discrepancy over his hotel bill.”
Halligen is wanted in the United States, accused of using a client’s funds – a law firm – for his own benefit. It is alleged he bought a mansion in Virginia with the firm’s money.
It is claimed he had said the money was to help secure the release of two business executives from the Dutch company Trafigura, who were arrested in the Ivory Coast.
But it’s his relationship with Our Maddie that occupies the mind of the press:
A spokesman for the McCann family said: “Our association with Halligen and Oakley International ended well over a year ago. Given that an arrest has been made it would be inappropriate for us to comment.”
The Sun (front page): “MADDIE FRAUDSTER NICKED”
Halligen is the “Madeleine fraudster” even though he is accused of committing no fraud against the missing child nor her team.
Sky News says: “Madeleine ‘Conman’ Charged With Fraud”. Meanwhile, back in the Sun:
A DODGY “detective” on the run accused of swindling the Madeleine McCann fund out of £300,000 was nicked last night – thanks to The Sun. Kevin Halligen, 50, was led from his bolthole in handcuffs after our investigators staked out a luxury Oxford hotel then tipped off cops. The fugitive whined to police: “How did you find me?”
Well, Sky News mentions a discrepancy in the bill – a bill that ran into thousands of pounds, allegedly, the Sun prefers to foster the idea that police and hacks are scouting the country for the ‘Maddie fraudster’.
Our team tipped off police that he and his lover were about to flee after we staked out their bolthole.
But what that bit about the bill? Oh:
Last night cops who found him and his girlfriend with their bags packed were holding him over his unpaid bill at the plush Old Bank hotel in Oxford.
So they didn’t arrest Halligen over the Sun’s tip off, nor did police arrest him because of any link to Our Maddie. The arrested him over an unpaid bill. What other facts?
He won a £500,000 contract as the McCanns, both 41-year-old doctors from Rothley, Leics, prayed for clues. Much of the cash is said to have gone on luxury hotels, chauffeured limos and first-class flights as he lived the high life.
It is alleged. But the name of Our Maddie, once evoked is hard to shift:
The Times gives us:
A 48-year-old man wanted by the FBI who allegedly defrauded people across the world, including the Madeleine McCann fund, was arrested last night at a hotel in Oxford.
Whereas in the Telegraph we get:
The security consultant whose company was paid £300,000 from publicly donated funds to help find Madeleine McCann has been charged with a separate £1.3m fraud.
Or to put the news another way: Man who once worked on Madeleine McCann case arrested over unpaid hotel bill.
Posted: 25th, November 2009 | In: Madeleine McCann Comments (3) | TrackBack | Permalink
