Madeleine searcher arrested for fraud

26 November 2009
Calgary Herald

A businessman paid to help search for British girl Madeleine McCann was arrested after a hotel manager recognized him as an alleged fraudster wanted by U.S. authorities, British police said Wednesday. Kevin Halligen, 48, was arrested Tuesday following an argument over his bill at a luxury hotel in Oxford where he had been staying for several months under an assumed name.

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

Man is held by police over £1.2m fraud case

NOV 26, 2009
Belfast Telegraph

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 on Tuesday following a discrepancy over his hotel bill. The US Department of Justice had issued an indictment for Halligen, from Surrey, alleging he tried to defraud a London law firm of £1.2m. Halligen's firm, Oakley International, was used by Madeleine's parents for six months.

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

McCann 'fraudster' arrested at hotel

NOV 26, 2009
The Independent

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 on Tuesday following a discrepancy over his hotel bill. The manager had seen a report last weekend concerning the alleged fraud and realised the man pictured was his customer.

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

Madeleine McCann private detective held for fraud

NOV 26, 2009
Guardian Unlimited
James Meikle
Kevin Halligen, arrested in Oxford over unpaid hotel bill, was involved with search for missing girl and is wanted in the US. A security consultant who was once paid £300,000 to help find Madeleine McCann and is wanted by US authorities in connection with a $2m (£1.2m) case has been arrested at an expensive hotel in Oxford.

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

Maddie fraud: Irishman in court

NOV 26, 2009
Metro

A Dubliner whose firm helped look for Madeleine McCann and who is wanted in the US for an alleged €1.3million fraud, appeared in court yesterday.  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 earlier this month alleging he tried to defraud a London law firm. They claim 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 for his girlfriend, cash machine withdrawals and debit card transactions.

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

How I spotted Maddie fraud suspect at hotel

NOV 26, 2009
Liverpool Echo
Luke Traynor
Student recognised man wanted by cops
 
An Oxford university graduate helped to snare a high-profile on-the-run alleged fraudster hired to find missing toddler Madeleine McCann. Businessman Kevin Halligen was arrested at Oxford's Old Bank Hotel on Tuesday following several months evading police.

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

Fraud charges

NOV 26, 2009
The Journal Newcastle
BRITAIN TODAY: COURT 
 
A businessman whose firm helped look for Madeleine McCann and who is wanted in the US for an alleged £1.2m fraud, appeared in court yesterday. 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 2.1m US dollars (£1.3m).

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

Madeleine businessman faces court

November 26, 2009
Press Association

A businessman whose firm helped look for Madeleine McCann and who is wanted in the US for an alleged £1.2 million fraud has appeared in court.  Kevin Halligen, 48, faced City of Westminster magistrates after he was arrested on an extradition warrant in Oxford.

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

Businessman hired to look for Madeleine denied bail

26 November 2009

BBC News

Outline of article:
Kevin Halligen

• Irish national businessman 
• 48-year-old 
• from Surrey 
• hired to help look for Madeleine McCann 
• hired by Kate and Gerry McCann as a security consultant 
• Oakley International initially awarded a £500,000 contract 
• paid about £300,000 to help search for Madeleine 
• McCanns terminated the arrangement before paying any more fees
  
• wanted by the FBI on fraud charges related to Trafigura

Arrest Tues Nov 24, 2009

• arrested at Old Bank Hotel Oxford UK 
  
• arrested over a discrepancy in a bill of about £5,000 police discovered he had already packed his bag to leave

Court Appearance Wed Nov 25, 2009

• appeared at London's City of Westminster Magistrates' Court
• refused bail
• facing extradition to the US
• wanted for an alleged £1.2m fraud 
• Court told he had been staying at a series of addresses during the past eight months to evade reporters interested in the McCann case 
• Refusing bail, Judge Howard Riddle said: "I note the gravity of the offences alleged and the high value involved.  "At this stage, comparatively little is known about his movements, how he came to be in this country and where he has been staying."  
• Full extradition request likely to be submitted by the US authorities by end of January 2010

Melanie Cumberland

• acting for the UK government 
• told the court Halligen wanted in the US for taking money from Dutch company Trafigura, via a London-based law firm 
• said he had been employed after the two executives had been arrested following a petrochemical spill on the Ivory Coast 
• said Halligen spent 
• £1m ($1.7m) on a mansion
• £85,000 ($141,000) a gift to his girlfriend
• more than £26,000 ($43,000) in cash on other items

US Department of Justice

• issued an indictment for Halligen early Nov 2009 
• alleged Halligen tried to defraud a London law firm of £1.2m ($2.1m) 
• took the money as part of a deal to secure the release of Dutch business executives arrested in the Ivory Coast 
• spent the money on buying a mansion and gifts

Continue Reading... Labels: 2009, BBC, Madeleine McCann

Maddie rat tried to sue fund for £150k

26 Nov 2009
The Sun 
Antonella Lazzeri & Tom Wells

Maddie McCann "fraudster" Kevin Halligen tried to SUE the Find Madeleine fund for £150,000, The Sun can reveal today. Conniving Halligen was sacked by the charity - which had already paid him £300,000 - after bosses began to suspect he was a conman. But he then had the nerve to threaten to sue for half as much money again, claiming he was still owed it as part of a three-phase contract.

Continue Reading... Labels: 2009, Antonella Lazzeri, Brian Kennedy, Clarence Mitchell, Find Madeleine Fund, Madeleine McCann