Where has the £266,000 gone?

[G-Unit]

That is because, if there was no legal action on the horizon on 17 May 2007, it was rather odd to say the main use would be legal fees.

It begs the blindingly obvious question of what legal action Brian Kennedy thought might ensue, just a fortnight after Madeleine disappeared.

It's very difficult to work out just why a barrister would fly out to Portugal for the weekend on the off chance that the McCann's might hire his company. Did he think they had the kind of money to hire a top-flight international company? It costs around £5,000 per day for a top lawyer, goodness knows how much weekend work costs.

I can't understand either why he and the paralegal were told by the McCanns to keep their arrival low-key.

[Alfie]

Doesn't get us any further forward on why Kennedy envisaged legal fees as the main use a mere fortnight after the disappearance.

Perhaps he couldn't think of any other possible use for the money at that time, imagining that the case would soon be resolved by Madeleine's discovery, dead or alive.

[faithlilly]

Again, not even an attempt to answer the question.  Why did people fall over themselves to give money to the McCanns in the first weeks of Madeleine's disappearance?  On what did the donors expect their money to be spent, do you think?  Did they all give knowing in advance that the police investigation would fail to find Madeleine, alive or dead, and therefore were giving money solely to fund a future search, do you think?

People gave to feel that ' they were doing something'. I very much doubt if they had been told originally that  it would be spent on libel litigation they would have donated quite so generously. I believe that is why to this day the McCanns have never publicly announced that they are using the fund to sue.

[Alfie]

Another example of a Fund that was set up in response to an overwhelming desire by the public to contribute in light of a tragedy.  No one can tell me that the public sent money because they thought Wills and Harry were hard up!

"The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund (‘the Fund’) was established within days of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales on 31 August 1997, in response to the donations that poured into Kensington Palace. The general public, community groups and companies donated some £34 million"

It's just what people do these days.  Perhaps it's a poor reflection on modern behaviour eh?  Giving money is a  way for people to get involved in a media tragedy and make themselves feel better about themselves.  The cynic's view.  But don't tell me that the people who gave, gave with strings attached.  That's just rubbish.

[Alfie]

People gave to feel that ' they were doing something'. I very much doubt if they had been told originally that  it would be spent on libel litigation they would have donated quite so generously. I believe that is why to this day the McCanns have never publicly announced that they are using the fund to sue.

Haha! 
"And today we have a press conference with Mr & Mrs McCann, over to you Kate and Gerry"
"Yes, thank you.  We would like to announce to an expectant world that we intend to use some of the Fund money for litigation, hope that's all OK with you guys".

Why would they do that?  Is it what people with Funds do?  Public proclamations to the media about how it is to be spent?

Should they make a public statement every time they spend Fund money?

"We would like to announce today live on air that we intend to spent £4872 of Fund money on website costs over the next 6 months.  We trust this meets with the approval of the General Public".

[ShiningInLuz]

It's very difficult to work out just why a barrister would fly out to Portugal for the weekend on the off chance that the McCann's might hire his company. Did he think they had the kind of money to hire a top-flight international company? It costs around £5,000 per day for a top lawyer, goodness knows how much weekend work costs.

I can't understand either why he and the paralegal were told by the McCanns to keep their arrival low-key.

There seems to be a number of influential people getting involved in this purely for the excitement of being on the inside track.  I suppose the barrister might have wanted to see for himself how big the 'back garden' actually was, but other than that it seems a lot of effort for a conversation that could have occurred over the phone.

As to why the McCanns might wish to keep the arrival of this squad from the media and/or the police, the potential reason seems obvious.  Did this pair make any sort of splash in either the media or the police, or do they simply feature in Kate's book?

[Alice Purjorick]

Brian Kennedy also gave an interview at the Rothley War Memorial on May 17, 2007. This time he was eager to tell us how to donate money to the “Fund” via two banks – the Nat West and the Royal Bank of Scotland. He also told us what the money would be used for:

“Mainly for legal expenditure”

As this was the first raison d’etre for the Madeleine Fund, and confirmed nationally by one of its directors, we can conclude that the Madeleine Fund was set up to provide legal funds for the McCanns.

At no time at all did Brian Kennedy state that the money was to be used to finance the search for Madeleine.
http://mccannfundfraud.info/2011/05/brian-kennedy-admits-madeleine-fund-was-for-legal-expenditure/#comments


I doubt very much if it was envisaged that there would be a diversion when the lead detective wrote a book asserting that Madeleine was dead taking care to implicate her parents in that death.

It matters not what Mr Kennedy may or may not  have said. The ruling document is the company's Articles of Association; 'tis what that says that counts. Copies at Companies House or on Pamalam for anyone interested.

Another director:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h8Qc3YCaHY

[Angelo222]

I haven't been following this thread too closely but it appears to have gone sideways and so suggest it is split into two. The bit I don't get is why did the McCanns not only accept money at all in those early days but positively encourage it?

[Lace]

The Mccanns 'story' as you call it, was already out there, worldwide.

There is no law as far as I am aware that people should believe the Mccanns 'story', and many certainly don't.

As to taking legal action, that was their foolish choice. It gave Amaral more publicity and it has achieved NOTHING.

A book written by the Co-ordinator of the case, even though he was thrown off it,  would be interesting to the public especially the Portuguese public.    Written by such a man,  what he wrote would be to most of them the true story,  because who would dare say that a person who was the Co-ordinator of the case would not tell the absolute truth?   He wrote about what he believed happened to Madeleine,  and added a lot of unsavoury titillating bits  ...   he made out that he was a lone brave soldier battling along to get the truth, risking his family in doing so. 

The McCann's had to sue him,  I have no doubt you would have too.   They had to tell it from their side,  there was NO evidence Madeleine was dead.

[Lace]

I haven't been following this thread too closely but it appears to have gone sideways and so suggest it is split into two. The bit I don't get is why did the McCanns not only accept money at all in those early days but positively encourage it?

The public wanted to help in the search for Madeleine,   they give them money the only thing they probably felt they could do.   They had to open a fund for this money otherwise where could they put it?

I didn't hear the McCann's  asking  for this money at the beginning.   

[Angelo222]

The public wanted to help in the search for Madeleine,   they give them money the only thing they probably felt they could do.   They had to open a fund for this money otherwise where could they put it?

I didn't hear the McCann's  asking  for this money at the beginning.

I agree with the first part Lace.  The generous public donated money to help find Maddie and there we have the crux of it in a nutshell...HELP FIND MADDIE!   

Your final comment is partially true. They did not elicit donations but they also didn't tell people not to donate.

[Lace]

I agree with the first part Lace.  The generous public donated money to help find Maddie and there we have the crux of it in a nutshell...HELP FIND MADDIE!   

Your final comment is partially true. They did not elicit donations but they also didn't tell people not to donate.

Can you point me in the direction of any parent with a missing child who has a fund,  that has told people not to donate to it?

[Angelo222]

Can you point me in the direction of any parent with a missing child who has a fund,  that has told people not to donate to it?

Can you point me to any other case where the parents of a missing child have within days set up a limited company and surrounded themselves with press agents, PR experts and lawyers in both England and Portugal?

[Brietta]

Can you point me to any other case where the parents of a missing child have within days set up a limited company?

                                 There isn't another case like Madeleine's.

[G-Unit]

Doesn't get us any further forward on why Kennedy envisaged legal fees as the main use a mere fortnight after the disappearance.

Defense?