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Madeleine McCann: Robert Murat 'To Be Questioned Again Over Disappearance'

Robert Murat 'To Be Questioned Again Over Disappearance Of Madeleine McCann'
Sara C Nelson
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Robert Murat could be questioned again in relation to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, it has been reported.

Murat, 41, was the first person to be named as an official suspect in the disappearance of the little girl back in 2007.

The IT consultant has always maintained his innocence, was never arrested and was cleared and had his “arguido” or suspect status removed in 2008. He later won substantial libel damages and an apology from several British newspapers.

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Madeleine McCann has been missing since 2007

Portuguese daily newspaper Jornal de Noticias reports British expat Murat is among seven due to be questioned by Scotland Yard in the coming weeks in Faro, Portugal, as persons of “special interest”.

It also claims Murat’s girlfriend Michaela Walczuch and her former husband Luis Antonio are due to be questioned. BBC sources also report Murat and Walczuch are due to be questioned.

ITV News says it spoke to Murat on Wednesday and that he confirmed he had only learned of the news through Portuguese media reports.

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Robert Murat has always denied any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance

The channel adds: “Portuguese newspapers today published claims that Murat will be spoken to in the coming weeks. This has also been confirmed to ITV News sources.”

Murat told The Guardian neither he nor his lawyer had been contacted by the police, but added: "My conscience is clear and I have no problem speaking to police.

"I have more important things to worry about, like running my business, paying my taxes and I also need to paint my house."

In June Sergey Malinka, a 29-year-old Russian-born IT engineer was questioned by British detectives reviewing the case.

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Malinka, who was first questioned by police as a witness in 2007, was never declared a suspect and has always denied any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance.

It is believed he was questioned in 2007 because of his business links with Murat.

Madeleine, who was then nearly four, disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal's Algarve on May 3 2007, as her parents dined at a nearby tapas restaurant with friends.

A spokesman for Scotland Yard told Huffington Post UK the force would not supply a "running commentary" on the case.

Madeleine would now be aged ten.

Madeleine McCann
Girl missing in Algarve(01 of30)
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A photo of Madeleine McCann that was taken when she was 3 years old. (credit:Facebook.com/Official.Find.Madeleine.Campaign)
Madeleine McCann(02 of30)
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FILE - This March 2007 file photo released by the McCann family Friday May 4, 2007 shows three-year-old British girl Madeleine McCann. British police say Thursday July 4, 2013 they have launched a full investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, and want to trace 38 "persons of interest" in the case. Detectives say it's possible that Madeleine, who vanished from a Portuguese holiday resort six years ago, is still alive. (AP Photo/McCann Family, File) (credit:AP)
(03 of30)
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FILE- May 2, 2012 file photo Kate and Gerry McCann talk to reporters in London to mark their daughter Madeleine's birthday and the 5th anniversary of their daughter's disappearance during a family vacation in southern Portugal in May 2007 shortly before her fourth birthday. Lord Justice Brian Leveson will release his report, Thursday Nov. 29 2012, on a year-long inquiry into the culture and practices of the British press and his recommendations for future regulation to prevent phone hacking, data theft, bribery and other abuses. (AP Photo/Sang Tan, File) (credit:AP)
Kate McCann(04 of30)
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Kate McCann, the mother of missing girl Madeleine, who testified in the Leveson Inquiry arrives at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London where Lord Justice Brian Leveson is to release his report, after a year long inquiry, into the culture and practices of the British press and his recommendations for future regulation to prevent phone hacking, data theft, bribery and other abuses, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Sang Tan) (credit:AP)
Kate McCann, Gerry McCann(05 of30)
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FILE - In this May 2, 2012 file photo, Kate and Gerry McCann pose with a missing poster, an age progression computer generated image of their daughter Madeleine at 9 years old, as they talk to the media in London to mark their daughter Madeleine's birthday and the 5th anniversary of their daughter disappearance during a family vacation in southern Portugal in May 2007 shortly before her fourth birthday. New Zealand police said Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013 DNA tests have confirmed a New Zealand girl is not missing British youngster Madeleine McCann. (AP Photo/Sang Tan, File) (credit:AP)
Girl missing in Algarve(06 of30)
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An undated photo of Madeleine McCann from the Official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page. (credit:Facebook.com/Official.Find.Madeleine.Campaign)
Girl missing in Algarve(07 of30)
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Kate McCann looks at an inflatable News of the World poster of missing daughter Madeleine measuring approx 800sq ft on the beach in Praia Da Luz, Portugal. (credit:Steve Parsons/PA Archive)
Girl missing in Algarve(08 of30)
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Kate McCann, mother of missing Madeleine, during the recording of a television interview for the spanish television show "Los Mas Buscados" with images of Madeleine on a large TV screen behind her, in the Hotel Villa Magna in Madrid. (credit:John Taylor/PA Archive)
Girl missing in Algarve(09 of30)
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The GPR image that Stephen Birch believes shows a grave. (credit:Stephen Birch)
Missing girl in Algarve(10 of30)
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A photo of the May 15, 2007 search of the property in Praia da Luz where Stephen Birch believes he found a grave. The black box indicates the rubble pile he claims police never searched. (credit:Stephen Birch)
Girl missing in Algarve(11 of30)
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An October 2007 photo of the same location. Stephen Birch said this photo indicates the rubble pile had not been touched during the May 2007 search. (credit:Stephen Birch)
Missing girl in Algarve(12 of30)
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An overlay of the two photos. (credit:Stephen Birch)
Girl missing in Algarve(13 of30)
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An undated photo of Madeleine McCann from the Official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page. (credit:Facebook.com/Official.Find.Madeleine.Campaign)
Missing Madeleine McCann(14 of30)
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Kate and Gerry McCann in Quorn, Leicestershire, as they launch a petition to lobby the UK and Portuguese governments for a joint or independent review over their daughter Madeleine's disappearance. (credit:Rui Vieira/PA Archive)
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Kate McCann, mother of missing girl Madeleine McCann leaves the village chruch in Praia Da Luz on the Algarve, Portugal, following a service. (credit:Steve Parsons/PA Archive)
Girl missing in Algarve(16 of30)
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An undated photo of Madeleine McCann from the Official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page. (credit:Facebook.com/Official.Find.Madeleine.Campaign)
Girl missing in Algarve(17 of30)
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Kate McCann leaves a church service in Praia Da Luz, Portugal, 2 weeks after Madeleine McCann went missing on the evening of Thursday May 3. (credit:Steve Parsons/PA Archive)
Girl missing in Algarve(18 of30)
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An undated photo of Madeleine McCann from the Official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page. (credit:Facebook.com/Official.Find.Madeleine.Campaign)
Missing Madeleine McCann(19 of30)
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Kate and Gerry McCann give a press conference in central London on their newly published book 'Madeleine' about their daughter's disappearance in 2007. (credit:Anthony Devlin/PA Archive)
Girl missing in Algarve(20 of30)
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Business card sized leaflets showing missing girl Madeleine McCann, which were handed out to fans during the Espanyol v Sevilla Uefa Cup final at Hampden Park in Glasgow. (credit:Andrew Milligan/PA Archive)
Missing girl in Algarve(21 of30)
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Kate McCann leaves the special service for the 100th day of Madeleine McCann's disappearance at the local church in Praia Du Luz, Portugal. (credit:Steve Parsons/PA Archive)
Girl missing in Algarve(22 of30)
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Kate and Gerry McCann make an appeal for their three year old Madeleine's return. (credit:Steve Parsons/PA Archive)
Girl missing in Algarve(23 of30)
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An undated photo of Madeleine McCann from the Official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page. (credit:Facebook.com/Official.Find.Madeleine.Campaign)
Madeleine McCann(24 of30)
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Composite photos showing three-year-old Madeine McCann, left, with a computer generated age progression image of the missing child as she might look now, right, issued Thursday July 4, 2013. British police say Thursday July 4, 2013 they have launched a full investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, and want to trace 38 "persons of interest" in the case. Detectives say it's possible that Madeleine, who vanished from a Portuguese holiday resort six years ago, is still alive. (AP Photo/PA, Metropolitan Police, Teri Blythe) MANDATORY CREDIT ONE TIME USE ONLY UNITED KINGDOM OUT NO SALES NO ARCHIVE (credit:AP)
BRITAIN-MEDIA-POLITICS(25 of30)
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Gerry McCann, father of missing girl Madeleine McCann and a victim of phone hacking, speaks during a conference organised by the Hacked Off campaign, on the eve of the publication of the long-awaited Conservative proposal for a 'Royal Charter' for press regulation in Central London, on February 11, 2013. AFP PHOTO/ANDREW COWIE (Photo credit should read ANDREW COWIE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
BRITAIN-MEDIA-POLITICS-LEVESON(26 of30)
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Kate McCann, mother of missing toddler Madeleine McCann, joins members of 'Hacked Off', an organisation that advocates for victims of press abuse, as they make a statement following the publication of the Leveson Report into press ethics in central London on November 29, 2012 after a major inquiry launched in the wake of the News Of The World phone-hacking scandal. A major inquiry called for new laws to underpin a tougher watchdog for Britain's 'outrageous' newspapers in a move that threatens to split Prime Minister David Cameron's coalition government. AFP PHOTO / JUSTIN TALLIS (Photo credit should read JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
(27 of30)
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This theater image released by Boneau/Bryan-Brown shows, from left, Gareth Saxe, Madeleine Martin and Mary McCann, in a scene from Simon Stephens drama, "Harper Regan," performing off-Broadway at the Atlantic Theater Company in New York. (AP Photo/Boneau/Bryan-Brown, Kevin Thomas Garcia) (credit:AP)
Kate McCann, Gerry McCann(28 of30)
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Kate and Gerry McCann pose with a missing poster of their daughter Madeleine as talk to the media in London Wednesday, May 2, 2012 to mark their daughter Madeleine's birthday and the 5th anniversary of their daughter disappearance during a family vacation in southern Portugal in May 2007 shortly before her fourth birthday. (AP Photo/Sang Tan) (credit:AP)
MADELEINE MCCANN(29 of30)
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FILE - This March 2007 file photo released by the McCann family Friday, May 4, 2007, shows 3-year-old British girl Madeleine McCann. London's Metropolitan Police said Wednesday April 25, 2012 say it's possible missing girl Madeleine McCann is alive and they will release a new image of the girl, who went missing on a family vacation in the Algarve coast in Portugal in May 2007. (AP Photo/McCann Family, File) (credit:AP)
Missing Madeleine McCann(30 of30)
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UNSPECIFIED - UNDATED: In this handout artists impression from the UK's national police centre for protecting children - the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre, a likeness of what missing child Madeleine McCann would look like today is seen. Madeleine disappeared on May 3, 2007 while on holiday with her family in Portugal and would now be 6 years old. (Photo Illustration by Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre via Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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