The Madeleine Fund- Who's in Charge?

OK, I must be getting too cynical and perhaps too critical of these McCanns.

Peter Harvey asks pertinently who's looking after the money paid into the Find Madeleine fund. Although the website gives a company registration number unfortunately a search against that number comes up with nothing.
What is certain is that the fund is already wasting money. The Times reports here that an application for charitable status was refused. Any law student examining the objects of the fund would immediately spot that they lacked the crucial element. They were not for the  benefit of the public.

These are the listed objects:

3.     The objects of the Foundation   are:
3.1.1 To secure the safe return to her family of Madeleine McCann who was abducted in Praia da Luz, Portugal on Thursday 3rd May 2007;
3.1.2  To procure that Madeleine’s abduction is thoroughly investigated and that her abductors, as well as those who played or play any part in  assisting them, are identified and brought to justice; and
3.1.3   To provide support, including financial   assistance, to Madeleine’s family.
3.2     If the above objects are fulfilled then the objects of the Foundation shall be to pursue such purposes in similar cases arising in the United   Kingdom, Portugal or  elsewhere.

Although 3.2 is clearly for the public benefit, it is likely nothing would be left for this purpose.

The Fund appears to be a Company Limited by Guarantee and as such, like your local bowls club, there's  no need for it to  publish annual accounts.

So folks, it's no charity you're chucking your hard-earned at.

And it's not as if these negligent parents are short of cash. In the Diana-esque madness that is sweeping the land the media seems to have forgotten that the parents are both doctors- Mr McCann is a surgeon. Presumably their employers are still paying their, not inconsiderable, salaries?
And to put the tin hat on it, today I read  the McCanns  "will travel wherever it is  necessary in the search to find their four year old."

I bet they will. And it's not difficult to guess who will be paying?

There's a lot of money pouring into this trough.

                                                                                                                           

Comments

[brendadada]

Good old Charities Commission. People in the public sector and the ilk of these trough-makers moan like drains about them. Thankfully they won't be able to send door knockers around with envelopes, or to rattle tins at us at the door of our local supermarket. Would the only reason they were after this charitable status be anything to do with avoiding um, tax on this income? So many questions...

If this Co Ltd by Guarantee makes a profit, there's corporation tax, isn't there? So spending it on travel pdq would be about the only option they've got, after the fees they'll presumably be paying out to administer this almighty swindle oops, sympathy slipped there for a moment. Oh, is there income tax applicable on free dosh being handed out for travelling? I simply don't know.

As a Co Ltd by Guarantee, all the Directors have liability limited to £1 (usually) if things go pear-shaped, but since they're not actually trading as such, is there even the remotest likelyhood of that?

[jailhouselawyer]

How about Madeliene dolls?

[brendadada]

Great, mail them, maybe they've got an ideas fund!