Above All Suspicion

For those interested in following the PR campaign being waged by the McCanns, you will be interested to know that Clarence Mitchell has given up his job as head of the government Media Monitoring Unit to once again become the McCann's PR spokesman.

Who is paying for Mr Mitchell's advice, is unclear. He says he will not be paid from the Madeleine fund, as Justine McGuinness was, but by 'private financial backers.'

Which like so much surrounding the case raises further questions.

Why not just say Clarence Mitchell is being paid by the fund? If it was ok to pay for Ms McGuinness' expertise, why shouldn't Mr Mitchell be remunerated in the same fashion?

One possibility is that, as Correio da Manha reported the McCanns are running out of money, and that Mr Mitchell will continue to recieve his civil service salary. Though the reports of this latest move clearly state that Mr Mitchell is resigning his position; the government website still lists him as director of the Media Monitoring Unit.

Perhaps it will be updated when Mr Mitchell Takes over his new role in the morning.

The move has raised raised questions about Gordon Brown's ongoing involvement in the case. And he will no doubt be sad to see his chief spin doctor leave as the government struggles with the current banking crisis, war in Afghanistan and Iraq and a potential general election.

You will recall that McCann's PR spokesperson told Corrieo da Manha on 13th September that the British government is 'a neutral observer.'

While talking of neutral observers.

On 8th August, the Daily Telegraph carried this report about the 'discovery' of 'blood' by British detectives using dogs and ultra-violet technology. The news prompted this reaction:

"Mark Williams-Thomas, a former Surrey detective and now a leading child protection expert, said: "I am staggered that it has taken so long.

"The police should have sealed the apartment immediately, on day one and then conducted a thorough forensic examination- this would have taken days and would have involved analysis for fluids and fibres and involved stripping the apartment bare.

"Even if this proves not to be significant, it should have been discovered in the first few days and eliminated. This shows just how inept the Portuguese police were at carrying out the initial forensics tests.

"Just imagine the impact it will have on Gerry and Kate so many months on - to find that something so vital was missed right at the beginning. "It is great that British police have finally carried out a review but you have to ask why has it taken three months for it to happen?

"I called for a review within the first month, especially because of the relative lack of experience of the Portuguese team working on this.

"It’s astounding that it has taken this long to bring in specialist help. It makes a mockery of the Portuguese investigation."

The following day Mr Williams-Thomas wrote this column in the Guardian, comment is free section. According to Mr Williams-Thomas:

"For me, the secrecy law presents serious concerns about the Portuguese police's ability to undertake such a complex inquiry. It is this specific law that creates the problem, providing no opportunity to appeal for information from the public, to release a description of what Madeleine was wearing on the night she disappeared, and saying what time she disappeared, for example. In relation to the secrecy law I have sympathy for the Portuguese police, as this is what they have to work within - but it needs changing urgently."

He also appears on the Sky Website, offering his views about the McCann case and that of Joana Cipriano:

""I can't accept that Gerry and Kate as parents of the child could have been involved in her murder - even based on the fact that over 90% of murders are domestic-related.

"What I have difficulty in understanding is they would have killed her and stored her body for at least 25 days and left no evidence.

"At the very least the body would have started to decompose, especially in a hot country. And there was a huge risk of someone finding that body."

Perhaps noticing Mr Williams-Thomas, as the managing director of WT Associates, 'experts in child protection and risk management', keeness to damage the case against the McCanns; enterprising bloggers at Gazeta Digital, decided to email him and ask the obvious question:

"We emailed WT Associates and asked if the company “has or had any contract with Mr.Gerry McCann, or with a relative of Mr. Gerry McCann, or with any Public Relations or Media company that has any relation with Mr. Gerry McCann or any relative of Mr. Gerry McCann.”

to which the answer was:

"Yes we have. What is it you are after?”

They asked him to confirm this:

““We are not providing any media support to the mc cann familly. But I have been in contact with the press officers for the family. I am unclear what you are after?”

Though perhaps Mr Williams-Thomas will be interested in the news, reported in the Sunday Telegraph, that the Portugese secrecy laws are about to be relaxed.

"The new law means that all suspects and third parties, including the media, will have access to police documents in any investigation - unless the public prosecutor decides that secrecy will benefit the inquiry or protect the rights of the accused. The prosecutor's decision has to be ratified by a judge within 72 hours."

I don't know about you, but is difficult to see how a change of this nature would benefit anyone except someone who is under investigation. If implemented in this form, a suspect would have the right to find out what information the police have and either destroy further evidence or harrass witnesses.

Though the law is not necessarily going to help the McCanns.

"The Sunday Telegraph understands, however, that the police have already anticipated the rule change and have prepared an appeal to the public prosecutor to keep the Madeleine file secret."

This is, as yet, no suggestion that the British government used diplomatic pressure to bring this change in the law in Portugal.

peace:)