Madeleine businessman arrested at hotel

25 November 2009
Press Association
Lauren Turner

A businessman whose firm helped to look for Madeleine McCann was arrested after a hotel manager recognised him as an alleged fraudster wanted by US authorities. Kevin Halligen, 48, had been staying at the Old Bank Hotel in Oxford for several months under an assumed name. He was arrested there yesterday following a discrepancy over his hotel bill. The hotel manager had seen a newspaper report last weekend concerning the alleged fraud and realised the man pictured alongside the article was his customer. Halligen was taken into custody in the city, where he remains today. The US Department of Justice had issued an indictment for Halligen, from Surrey, earlier this month, alleging he tried to defraud a London law firm of 2.1 million dollars (£1.2 million).

Continue Reading... Labels: 2009, Find Madeleine Fund, Leicestershire Police, Madeleine McCann

Maddy man is arrested

25 Nov. 2009
The Evening Chronicle
Newcastle

A businessman once hired to help look for Madeleine McCann and who is wanted by US authorities over an alleged fraud was arrested at a hotel, according to sources. Kevin Halligen, 48, was arrested yesterday afternoon at the Old Bank Hotel in Oxford following a discrepancy over his hotel bill and is currently in custody in the county, it is understood. The US Department of Justice issued an indictment for the Briton two weeks ago alleging he tried to defraud a London law firm of more than £1.2m. His firm, Oakley International, was used by Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry for around six months last year to look for their missing daughter.

Continue Reading... Labels: 2009, Find Madeleine Fund, Madeleine McCann

Maddy man held

Nov 25, 2009
Evening Gazette
World today
A businessman once hired to help look for Madeleine McCann, who is wanted by US authorities over an alleged fraud, was arrested at a hotel, according to sources. Kevin Halligen, 48, was arrested yesterday afternoon at the Old Bank Hotel in Oxford, following a discrepancy over his hotel bill and is currently in custody in the county.

Continue Reading... Labels: 2009, Find Madeleine Fund, Madeleine McCann

Maddie fraud suspect arrested

Nov 25, 2009
Liverpool Echo
Luke Traynor
Hunt for fund fugitive ends in a top hotel: Suspected fraudster living at hotel

A private detective hired to find missing toddler Madeleine McCann was sensationally arrested yesterday after spending six months living a life of secret luxury in a top hotel, the ECHO can exclusively reveal. Detectives swooped at the plush Old Bank Hotel in Oxford to arrest suspected fraudster Kevin Halligen yesterday afternoon. The 48-year-old has remained high on the FBI's wanted list following an alleged £1.3m con in America and police have been flummoxed as to his whereabouts. Now, following a tip-off from an ex-hotel worker, Halligen is today in custody being questioned by officers.

Continue Reading... Labels: 2009, Clarence Mitchell, Find Madeleine Fund, Madeleine McCann

Maddie 'fraudster' nabbed

Nov 25, 2009
Scottish Daily Record

A businessman hired to help look for Madeleine McCann who is wanted by US authorities over an alleged fraud has been arrested. Kevin Halligen, 48, was arrested yesterday at the Old Bank Hotel in Oxford after a discrepancy over his hotel bill and is currently in custody. The US department of justice issued an indictment for Halligen two weeks ago alleging that he had tried to defraud a London law firm of more than £1.2million. His firm Oakley International were used by Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry for around six months last year to look for their missing daughter. The Washington firm were paid around £300,000 to help look for Madeleine after she went missing, then aged three, from an Algarve resort in May 2007.

Continue Reading... Labels: 2009, Clarence Mitchell, Find Madeleine Fund, Madeleine McCann

Kevin Halligen whose firm helped look for Madeleine McCann

Nov 25, 2009
P.A. National Newswire

Kevin Halligen, whose firm helped look for Madeleine McCann and who is wanted in the US over an alleged £1.3 million fraud, appeared in court tonight after being arrested on an extradition warrant. Thames Valley Police said in a statement: "We arrested a 48-year-old man yesterday morning at the Old Bank Hotel in Oxford. It was a discrepancy over his hotel bill." He is being held in custody in the city, and it is understood a court hearing relating to an extradition matter could take place later today.

Continue Reading... Labels: 2009, Find Madeleine Fund, Leicestershire Police, Madeleine McCann

British police arrest Madeleine 'investigator' over fraud

NOV 25, 2009
Agence France Presse

A businessman paid to help search for British girl Madeleine McCann was arrested after a hotel manager recognised him as an alleged fraudster wanted by US authorities, British police said Wednesday. Kevin Halligen, 48, was arrested Tuesday at a luxury hotel in Oxford, southern England, where he had been staying for several months under an assumed name. He was arrested following an argument over his bill. The hotel's manager recalled his face from a newspaper report last weekend about the alleged fraud.

Continue Reading... Labels: 2009, Find Madeleine Fund, Madeleine McCann

Madeleine businessman appears in court

25 November 2009 
Press Association
Laura May

A businessman whose firm helped look for Madeleine McCann and who is wanted in the US for an alleged £1.2 million fraud, appeared in court today. Kevin Halligen, 48, faced City of Westminster magistrates after he was arrested on an extradition warrant in Oxford. The US Department of Justice issued an indictment for Halligen, from Surrey, earlier this month alleging that he tried to defraud a London law firm of 2.1 million US dollars (£1.3 million). They claim that he took the money as part of a deal to secure the release of Dutch business executives arrested in the Ivory Coast, but instead spent it on a mansion, a gift to his girlfriend, cash machine withdrawals and debit-card transactions. He was arrested at a hotel in Oxford yesterday where he has been staying for several months under an assumed name.

Continue Reading... Labels: 2009, Madeleine McCann

FBI hunts for investigator paid £500,000 by McCanns

23 November 2009
The Independent
Jerome Taylor
Briton implicated in string of frauds thought to have changed his identity

A PRIVATE investigator whose company was paid more than £500,000 by the McCann family to look for their missing daughter has gone on the run after being implicated in a string of high-profile frauds. Kevin Halligen, 48, is thought to have pocketed at least £300,000 from public donations that were given in the wake of Madeleine McCann's disappearance before he went on the run from his mansion near Washington DC over a separate investigation into an allegation that he defrauded an international oil company out of more than £1m.

Continue Reading... Labels: 2009, Clarence Mitchell, Find Madeleine Fund, Madeleine McCann

Madeleine search aide 'failed to pay investigators'

23 November 2009
Daily Post
Liza Williams
Businessman wanted in US for fraud

A businessman hired to find Madeleine McCann has allegedly kept up to £300,000 meant to pay investigators. It was reported yesterday that British security consultant, Kevin Halligen, 50, allegedly failed to pass the money on to private detectives who did the work for him. £500,000 was paid to his firm, Oakley International, by the Find Madeleine fund. Sources close to Halligen claim he offered to provide satellite photos from the night Madeleine - whose mother, Kate, is from Mossley Hill - vanished to the family, but failed to do so.

Continue Reading... Labels: 2009, Find Madeleine Fund, Madeleine McCann