Friends Reunited

Another helping of baloney from The Sun by Antonella Lazerri. Very indigestible and unappetising too.

“ Inside the twisted minds of the Madeleine McCann child snatchers” 30.5.12. 

Former top British cop Ian Horrocks states that Madeleine wasn't taken by a paedophile or lone monster, but a childless couple who had been planning to take her during the week. He says the couple were probably well educated and English speaking and that Madeleine could be disguised a as a boy and living in Brazil.
At this point, I felt like doing a John McEnroe and screaming “ Man, you cannot be serious!” 
Has she been brought up as a boy during all her time with this couple? Presumably home-schooled to protect her secret identity. What are they going to do with a girl on the brink of puberty?

Did the Brazilian couple come to Praia da Luz to abduct a child by popping in to the entrance area to look at the Tapas booking, (which we have yet to see hard evidence of) ? How did they get her back to Brazil; overland initially, as they had no passport for her, but then how to fly her out of whichever country? Wouldn't she be making a fuss on the plane, shouting “ I want my mummy”?
How would they explain her sudden arrival to friends and family; a distressed and disorientated child? It's yet more baloney we are expected to swallow without choking.

What of Ian Horrocks, the “respected kidnap investigator”? I presume this is the same person. 

“Ian, like many of the others at BGP had a successful 30 year career within London's Metropolitan Police, prior to moving to the private sector in 2007.

Ian is an accredited senior investigator for homicide, as well as having experience in high value and multinational fraud and counter terrorism. For the last five years of his service he was team leader on one of the Specialist Crime Directorate's Kidnap and Specialist investigations teams.

Following his retirement he was the European Director for a business security and risk consultancy based in Hong Kong. He has since been involved in the provision of security advice and guidance to international corporations and high net worth individuals as well as crisis management and business continuity.” 

Kidnap is one of the strings to his bow. What about the alleged plot to kidnap Victoria Beckham in 2002? The alleged plot was discovered by an undercover team from The News of the World, with the infamous Mazher Mahmood in the lead role. DI Ian Horrocks congratulated NoW. 
“You've done a fantastic job taking on dangerous criminals.”
Except that the trial collapsed because the so -called dangerous criminal, Florim Gashi, described as a serial fantasist, had been paid by NoW. Lawyers at the time had expressed concerns that NoW coverage could jeopardise a fair trial. Cynics suggested that the timing of the police raid, just a few hours before the NoW deadline was just too good to be true.
It seems Horrock's congratulations were misplaced.

Then we have the murder of Jill Dando, presenter of the TV programme Crimewatch, Ian Horrocks worked with Andy Redwood and Hamish Campbell (the latter two being members of the Maddie Review Team). Barry George was investigated and arrested by this police team. He was imprisoned in 2001 only to be released on appeal in 2008.
Rather than the original police team accepting they had got the wrong man and that Jill Dando's killer is still at large, they made it clear they did not accept this was the case. Commander Simon Foy (now in charge of the Review) expressed disappointment at the verdict.

We hear a lot about bungling Portuguese cops, but the UK appears to have some too. 

“Cayman Islands: The Met's Caribbean connection” Paul Peachey The Independent 1.5.12. 
Scotland Yard's bungled anti-corruption operation could now result in the publication of documents that could rock the tax haven. 
The Inquiry, named Operation Tempura and its offshoot, Operation Cealt, was overseen by Yates of the Yard in 2007, with the case spiralling into a multi million pund inquiry into claims of improper links between police and press. The operation was halted in 2009 without any successful prosecutions, following the wrongful arrest of a senior judge.
There is to be a hearing in June, in London. If the case is not resolved, it will be heard in the Caymans, where Foreign office documents could be made public.
Who was involved in this operation? None other than BGP., apparently without a contract bid and in spite of one of its directors, Alan Cammidge ex CIB3 (Ghost Squad) being known to Yates and Martin Bridger, Met Chief Superintendent who was in overall charge. Questions were also asked about the expenditure incurred by BGP. Horrocks does not appear to have any direct involvement with this case, but the company certainly does. 

BGP Global Services - consultancy, training and investigative services to law enforcement agencies and industry professionals throughout the world.
Anti corruption airport and aviation security, covert investigation, financial investigations, prevention of information leakage, secure IT, bribery and corruption enquiries. 

Interesting how links between certain police officers occur, in relation to inquiries and News of the World. Horrocks' piece for The Sun predated the above article, but has now drawn attention to it and also to the fact that Lord Blencathra, David McClean, the Conservative peer is facing investigation over lobbying work on behalf of the islands. Nice one Ian !

So how much reliance should we put on Ian Horrock's opining that Madeleine has been taken by a childless couple? Not much.
One thing he did say which made sense, however, is that everyone, including the holiday group and witnesses should be re-interviewed. May we suggest particular attention is paid to the so- called Tapas dining witnesses, because, as we have made clear, we do not believe either dining or neglect occurred. The widespread acceptance of this myth has been one of the Mcanns' triumphs and has led down many a dead end of speculation as to how far they were from the apartment , what could they see/not see , were they a case of There but for the grace of God, implying the UK saw it as acceptable to leave children unattended and that most of us had done it.
If it could all be pinned on the T9 with no other involvement, it would have happened a long time ago.