Not to be confused with Kate McCann's uncle of the same name, this Brian Kennedy is a multi millionaire who officially became involved in the case on the 21st september 2007 when he made the following statement:
"In light of the quite literally incredible accusations against Gerry and Kate McCann, which are clearly exacerbating their emotional torture, I felt compelled to offer, along with other like-minded businessmen, financial support and the full logistical support of the Latium team.
"That support is principally our in-house lawyer Ed Smethurst and (official spokesman) Clarence Mitchell.
"This will relieve the McCanns of the daily pressure of co-ordinating the legal teams that will expedite the clearing of Gerry and Kate's names, allowing all parties to refocus on finding Madeleine."
Prior to this help, legal costs to protect the McCanns had been met by donations from the public to the McCann's fund, 'Leaving No Stone Unturned Ltd'. After questions as to why the fund was being used for the McCanns legal and PR expenses, the arrival of Kennedy and his wallet couldn't have come at a better time.
Indeed it was Kennedy and Smethurst who arranged a meeting with Robert Murat, the man whom in the early days of the investigation was seemingly being framed by a number of the tapas 9. According to Goncalo Amaral, Jane Tanner identified Murat as the man she saw carrying a small child on the street in the immediate vicinity of 5a at 9:20pm on the night Madeleine was reported missing:
"Jane Tanner was placed inside a police surveillance van (with windows that allow you to look outside, from the van, without being seen), the van was parked in a strategic position, near apartment 5A, and PJ investigators took Murat with them, making exactly the same walk the man carrying a child had made, according to Jane Tanner.Jane Tanner looked at Murat walking and told police she was sure he was the same man, she recognised the way he walked, with no doubt."
Tanner later denied this,and reports emerged that Murat had filed papers against her for calumnious denunciation.
But back to the meeting between Kennedy, Smethurst, Robert Murat and Murat's lawyer, Francisco Pagarete, below is a report taken from the McCannfiles:
Steven Swinford
May 4, 2008
Excerpt:
Brian Kennedy, the home improvements tycoon backing the McCanns, admitted yesterday that he flew to Portugal last November and spent an evening with Robert Murat, apart from the McCanns the only other official suspect. A source close to Kennedy said he was "gathering information".
Kennedy's lawyer, Ed Smethurst, approached Murat through a mutual friend and said that Kennedy wanted to offer him a job.
But the job offer never transpired. Kennedy spent the evening with Murat and his lawyers at his aunt's house in Praia da Luz, discussing Madeleine's disappearance.
He left with a "flea in his ear" after being confronted over reports that Metodo 3, the McCanns' private investigators, had suspicions about Murat.
The full details of what was discussed that night have never been revealed, but it is reported that a deal was reached that stopped Murat from suing the McCanns and members of the tapas 7 for their part in framing him.
Kennedy's cash also paid for private investigation team Metodo 3; a rag tag and bobtail team who regularly lied about knowing who had taken Madeleine, and that they were close to solving the case. Their false claims were printed in all major media outlets, and, at a point when Kate and Gerry had been named arguido by the PJ, went a long way to diverting attention from the suspected couple, convincing the public that Portugal had it wrong, and the McCanns were innocent.
In 2013 the owner of the agency and three other detectives were arrested for activities, including money laundering and illegally spying on politicians.
Reports were now surfacing that Metodo 3 were using money from the fund to pay witnesses to change their story and even fabricate stories designed to swerve ideas of the McCanns involvement in the disappearance of Madeleine, cue Clarence:
Clarence Mitchell:
"It is a ridiculous suggestion to claim Metodo 3 are paying witnesses to change their story"
Clarence acted on behalf of the McCanns as a PR spokesman. He spun the truth for his employees, "fed the media stories" and openly claimed to manipulate the press into changing the McCanns words, when he announced the following at a self promotional gig at Coventry university on the 18th October 2007:
"I would pull journalists to one side and say, look, if you want further co operation, this is what we said, and this is what we meant"
Mitchell's involvement has without doubt deflected blame away from the McCanns with a series of leaked stories, and misinformation.
Was it so ridiculous, as Mitchell claimed, that stories were arising about Metodo 3?
In an interview, Portuguese lawyer, Dr Marcos Aragão Correia claimed that:
"the Spanish detectives (Metodo 3) asked me to arrange for evidence against Gonçalo Amaral".
Also here, claims that Metodo 3 were trying to frame Goncalo Amaral:
As we've seen Correia and Amaral don't have what you'd call a glittering friendship, In Correia we have a man on a mission, and the people paying for his services Metodo 3 were employed through Brian Kennedy's wallet, by the McCanns. Correia himself confirms he was contracted to Metodo 3 in the following statement:
"The secrecy of the contract which bounds me to Método 3 stops me from revealing details regarding the private investigation"
As I said earlier, Metodo 3 had claimed throughout their time working for the McCanns that they knew where Madeleine was, and that the case would be solved soon. Now with Marcos Correia on board, a story that reflected the McCann's early version came to light. A story that was totally unfounded, but filled the front pages with the subliminal message that the McCanns were, despite being arguidos, innocent.
What Correia claimed was that some "underworld contacts" had told him that Madeleine had been kidnapped by paedophiles, murdered, and her body disposed of in a reservoir. What followed was an publicised investigation, showing divers entering the reservoir and discovering bones. The papers lapped it up, Kate and Gerry gained more support, and very little followed. Especially as the bones weren't even human.
It's a shame, but seemingly a fact, that the vast amounts of money spent by Brian Kennedy only seemed to hamper the real investigation.
