[MTVN]

So publishing the findings of a private investigation implying possible guilt at a time when they are being very highly scrutinised and suspected would harm what they considered to be the real search for the truth (this is obviously presuming their innocence)

And the firm does sound a bit dodgy, it's a private investigation so none of its findings are official or necessarily reliable and there is not as much accountability either, if what they say is true the other private investigators didn't trust the firm and its findings either, and presumably Scotland Yard didn't either if again it is true that all information was passed on to them

Yes it does seem suspicious but it's not as simple as just a blatant attempt to hide the truth and knowingly hinder the search. Easy to say with hindsight that they should have publicised the e fits but it seems that not many people considered the Smith sighting as important at the time, he himself has accused the Portuguese police of not taking it seriously