Kate McCann admits in her book that private criminal investigations in Portugal were illegal.

[Angelo222]

I haven't admitted they acted illegally and you have been unable to cite the law that they were supposed to have broken....

The PJ were complicit with M3 so I don't see how they could have broken the law

Doesn't matter what the McCanns know if it was illegal it was M3 breaking the law...

if I hire a taxi to get me home asap....who gets the speeding ticket...

You have failed imo to show the mccanns broke the law...it is simply YOUR interpretation

We have already covered what elements of the Portuguese penal code apply to illegal interference in a live police investigation.  Would the Met tolerate private investigators getting involved in a child murder or an abduction in London. Your naivety in this area is astounding or is it simply your agenda to obfuscate?

The PJ tolerated M3 in order to find out what they were really up to.  We know where that ended up dont we?  In fact, can you clarify for me just exactly what does searching for Madeleine have to do with attempts to discredit Mr Amaral?  M3 were involved in this sham while being instructed and paid for by the McCanns fund.  There is every reason to believe in my opinion that their illegal participation in this case extends much further than first thought!!

[Matthew Wyse]

We have already covered what elements of the Portuguese penal code apply to illegal interference in a live police investigation.  Would the Met tolerate private investigators getting involved in a child murder or an abduction in London. Your naivety in this area is astounding or is it simply your agenda to obfuscate?

The PJ tolerated M3 in order to find out what they were really up to.  We know where that ended up dont we?  In fact, can you clarify for me just exactly what does searching for Madeleine have to do with attempts to discredit Mr Amaral?  M3 were involved in this sham while being instructed and paid for by the McCanns fund.  There is every reason to believe in my opinion that their illegal participation in this case extends much further than first thought!!

I hadn't thought about that Angelo and I would agree that metodo weren't operating in Portugal out of the kindness of their heart neither were they being paid by anyone else but the mccanns.

[Eleanor]

Actually, I think Brian Kennedy was paying Metodo3.

[jassi]

I wonder who Metodo 3 were reporting their findings to ?

[Alice Purjorick]

They could not have a contract to carry out an illegal act

The statement sir is true only as far it goes.

One party may hire another to commit an illegal act. That would be a contract illegal at formation and thus will not be enforceable in any court. Indeed it is cannot be a contract per se.
In this instance if the illegal act is committed by one party on behalf of the other then it remains possible for both parties to be prosecuted for the offence depending on the circumstances.

Should one party enter into a legal contract with another where one party commits an illegal act in fulfilling the contract the courts may decide the contract is enforceable. It is most probable however that only the party who committed the illegal act would face prosecution.

The problem with PI's involved in the McCann case is we, the proles, do not know who were parties to the contract and what the contract was for.
We can have jolly good fun speculating though...

[Mr Gray]

You mean like culpable homicide or did you mean concealing a cadaver and faking an abduction?  Oops that's three illegal acts.

this post makes no sense

[Carana]

We have already covered what elements of the Portuguese penal code apply to illegal interference in a live police investigation. 

Did you find it and I missed it?

[stephen25000]

''Our first investigators, the Spanish company Método 3, began working for us in October. With private investigations technicaly ilegal in Portugal, we felt the closest we could get would be a firm from somewhere on the Iberian Peninsula, which would have the advantage of familiarity with local systems, culture and geography and the best network of contacts in the region."

[stephen25000]

No one has been able to state the law...that's ignorance for you

mccann knew it was illegal.

Can't you read ?

[Mr Gray]

mccann knew it was illegal.

Can't you read ?

it isn't a matter of reading...its understanding

[Jean-Pierre]

''Our first investigators, the Spanish company Método 3, began working for us in October. With private investigations technicaly ilegal in Portugal, we felt the closest we could get would be a firm from somewhere on the Iberian Peninsula, which would have the advantage of familiarity with local systems, culture and geography and the best network of contacts in the region."

Where does it say in that passage that Metodo 3 actually investigated in Portugal?  Or that the McCanns condoned such investigations?   

[ferryman]

Have I missed where anyone has found this elusive blanket law prohibiting any kind of private investigation?

It does just seem (to me) intuitively logical that a police force (of any nation) would object to private investigators investigating a matter they are officially investigating at the same time for (I think!) obvious reasons.

All manner of potential conflicts could arise, with people of interest being interviewed more than once, information elicited by one agent missed by the other, complications introduced in attempting to construct a complete picture (by either agent).

But I confess, I have literally no clue what Portuguese law has to say on the matter (if anything!)

[stephen25000]

Where does it say in that passage that Metodo 3 actually investigated in Portugal?  Or that the McCanns condoned such investigations?

Try watching the channel 5 program , it might be of assistance.

I assume you are able to do that ?

[Jean-Pierre]

Are the insults start yet again.

How trite.

Try watching the channel 5 program , it might be of assistance.

I assume you are able to do that ?

Which Channel 5 programme are you referring to?

[stephen25000]

It would seem so.

I assume you refer to the programme - "the Conman and the McCanns" - I think you will find the clue to be in the name.  This is beyond funny.

Perhaps you watch the program again and the admission made by those Halligen employed on behalf of the mccanns