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

Madeleine investigator on the run over fraud

23 November 2009
Belfast Telegraph
Jerome Taylor

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, Find Madeleine Fund, Madeleine McCann

Madeleine McCann investigator Kevin Halligen ’facing fraud allegations

Nov 23 2009

Liza Williams
Liverpool Echo

A businessman hired to find Madeleine McCann has allegedly kept up to £300,000 meant to pay investigators. It has been reported that British security consultant, Kevin Halligen, 50, failed to pass the money on to private detectives who did the work for him.  Around £500,000 was paid to his firm, Oakley International, by the Find Madeleine fund. Halligen is said to have offered to provide satellite photos from the night Maddie – whose mother Kate is from Allerton – vanished to the family, but failed to do so. He is now reportedly wanted in the USA after an alleged £1.3m fraud. However he has not been arrested because authorities do not know where in the world he is.

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

McCann consultant in pounds 1.3m fraud row

23 November 2009 
The Daily Telegraph 
Alastair Jamieson

A security consultant whose company was allegedly paid pounds 300,000 from publicly donated funds to help find Madeleine McCann has been charged with an unrelated pounds 1.3 million fraud.  Kevin Halligen, 48, from Surrey, is wanted in America for allegedly conning a law firm out of $2.1 million in fees which he spent on himself. The Washington-based businessman, who styled himself as a security expert with FBI and MI5 connections, has not been arrested because officials in America do not know where he is.

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

Maddy investigator on run after fraud claims

23 November 2009 
Belfast Telegraph 
Jerome Taylor

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, Find Madeleine Fund, Madeleine McCann