Strongwood, Trafigura JJ Associates and Kevin Halligen

Interest has been spreading online about the relevance of Dutch Private Investigations firm, Strongwood in all of this. Like Kevin Halligen, Strongwood International were involved in an early (but frankly bizarre) Madeleine investigation that took them to Portugal with a) a clairvoyant and b) a specialist in children with disorders. Like Halligen, they also featured in the Trafigura investigations.

Whilst my own feeling is that they did little more than figure in a broad and far-reaching disinformation campaign (and probably surveillance activities too) it is interest that they should partner JJ Associates International - another Private Investigations company with offices in the UK and assorted districts in the US (inclusing Massachusetts). The company headed up by Phil Johnson is based in Keighley in the UK, and only a short drive from where Security/Banking Engineer (and ex-Soldier) Michael Wright (and Kate McCann's cousin) lives in Skipton.

In December 2007, Skipton Building Society was at the centre of an ID fraud investigation after the details of 14,000 customers were lost when a laptop was stolen from the premises.

In March 2008, Peter Hill, an employee of the same Skipton Building Society was investigated by Metropolitan Police in Leeds over claims he was trying to sell military information to the Russians. The Clitheroe educated former Territorial Army officer-cadet was accused of being a Russian spy. He subsequently claimed MI5 had ruined his life.

Readers might recall that Colin Sahlke a former Keighley paratrooper and his friend flew to Praia da Luz in the first weeks of her disappearence. I am assuming he may have been a member of JJ Associates or at least someone on their books.

But this is not the only coincidence. The Managing Director of JJ Associates is Yin Johnson - who is European Co-Ordinator at BF Oils Ltd, a bioenergy company, based in Stockton-on-tees in Cleveland.

On his Friendsreunited entry, Kate's cousin and ex-soldier, Michael Wright writes animatedly of converting one of his cars over to biodiesel in and using it around the Dutch/Belgium area. It seesm reasoanble to speculate that they may have crossed paths prior to Madeleine's disappearence.

JJ Associates partnered Strongwood on another missing children's case that bridged Holland and the UK in February this year.

Yin Johnson also works for Outsource Specialists Ltd in a similar capacity, sourcing regular feedstock for the Bio energy industry. In November 2006, plans were drawn up to encourage farmers in South Africa to grow products that could be used to provide feedstock for UK refineries to turn into bio diesel.

My own feeling is that these companies keep cropping because they can be relied on by more senior and influential intelligence cartels but there could be a more substantial link given that renewables are very much a growing part of the energy sectors. Trafigura themselves play an active part - not least because of the EU Bio Fuels Directive and the long term rising costs of crude oil.

According to their company website, Trafigura’s role is the sourcing and marketing of bio-diesel and ethanol

Those on top of their current affairs may recall that both the Swiss-Anglo, Trafigura, the Swiss-Anglo AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly featured in Iraq's 1996-2003 Oil For Food Scandal at the beginning of the last decade. In an investigation launched by the CIA, the Serious Fraud Office, the three major pharmaceuticals companies - AstraZeneca, GlaxoKleine and Eli Lilly were asked to hand over papers as part of a probe into bribes allegedly paid to Saddam Hussein's former Iraq regime.

Trafigura was accused of complicity in an oil-smuggling scheme in which tankers loading UN-sanctioned cargos at an Iraqi port were illicitly "topped up" with extra oil.

Former Glasgow MP, George Galloway was also embroiled in the Oild For Food scandal as a result of his antisanctions Mariam Appeal. The Charity Commission alleged that George Galloway’s campaign against Iraq sanctions was bankrolled using aid diverted by Saddam Hussein’s regime and the MP may have known about the illicit funding.

John McCann - Gerry's brother - was employed by both AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly during the last two decades.

Shortly after Kate and Gerry McCann were made suspects in the disappearence of their daughter, Hanover Communications assumed control of the couple's Press Handling in the UK. The company, whose clients included AstraZeneca , the General Medical Council and the Police Federation was founded by Charles Lewington, former Press Secretary to Conservative Prime Minister, John Major. The company specialized in lobbying for the pharamaceutical industry.

The speed with which John gave up his job at AstraZeneca for a position on the Find Madeleine fund has led to speculation he may have considered going in the Healthcare business alone.

More to come.

links:
Trafigura to sell palm biodiesel
Trafigura figures in South Africa bribery scandal

also coming up:
Booz Allen and QWest Communications