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Extradition: Identity card of private
detective Kevin Halligen |
A
private detective
whose firm was paid up to £500,000 from
publicly donated funds to find
Madeleine McCann is to get tens of
thousands of pounds in legal aid to fight extradition to the US for
fraud charges.
Kevin Halligen, 50, told Kate and Gerry McCann he could find their
daughter but allegedly spent the cash on a lifestyle of first-class
flights, chauffeured cars, nightclubs and luxury hotels and goods.
In a separate alleged scam he was arrested last November at the
£700-a-night Old Bank Hotel in Oxford.
US authorities issued an extradition warrant accusing Halligen of
defrauding a law firm of £1.3 million by claiming he could help free
two men jailed in war-torn Africa. It is claimed he instead spent the
money on a mansion.
A document filed in the District Court of Columbia claims he took money,
saying his firm could help secure the release of two executives from the
multinational company Trafigura jailed in Ivory Coast in 2007 for
allegedly dumping toxic waste.
He is said to have suggested a rescue operation to fly in South African
mercenaries, but it was cancelled. The duo were freed a few months later
after a reported £120 million payment.
Halligen, who claimed to have worked for MI5 and the CIA, linked up with
the McCanns a year after the 2007 disappearance of three-year-old
Madeleine on a family holiday at
Praia da Luz,
Portugal.
He boasted of ‘contacts’ in Washington who could provide satellite
imagery to help the search. Oakley International, a company run by
Halligen, was hired by the fund set up by
Madeleine’s parents, but was dropped after six months due to
claims of too little progress and too much spending.
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Fees: Halligen, who claimed to have worked
for MI5 and the CIA, linked up with the McCanns a year after
the 2007 disappearance of their daughter |
Now British taxpayers are to pay for top-flight lawyers to fight
Dublin-born Halligen’s extradition. His team includes a leading
extradition barrister whose fees are thought to be at least £2,000 a
day.
Additional fees for renowned London fraud solicitors Janes will boost
costs even further.
The award of legal aid to Halligen, remanded at a London jail since
arrest, was confirmed by Westminster magistrates this month. His next
extradition hearing is on Wednesday.
Last night a spokesman for Kate and Gerry McCann would not comment on
the case.
A spokeswoman for the Legal Services Commission said last night: ‘The
decision on whether legal aid is required is made by the court.’
A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: ‘We’ve announced the start of a
fundamental look at the legal aid system.’ |
