Murat gets £500k in libel settlement with British press

ROBERT MURAT, the first named suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, has settled libel claims against several British news outlets for £500,000 (€630,000), it emerged yesterday.

Lawyers acting for Murat, 34, an Algarve-based property consultant, announced the libel action in April.

Yesterday, law firm Simons, Muirhead and Burton confirmed that a statement would be officially read at the British high court tomorrow, but refused to comment further.

The media outlets named in the original libel action were the Daily Express, Sunday Express, Daily Star, Daily Mail, Evening Standard, Metro, Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, News of the World, The Sun and The Scotsman.

The reported settlement follows legal action by Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry, which led to front-page apologies from the Daily Express and Daily Star in March. The newspapers also agreed to make payments to the couple’s Find Madeleine fund.

Murat, who owns a villa 150 yards from the flat where Madeleine went missing, was first questioned about the case 11 days after she disappeared.

He strenuously denied any involvement, saying he was at home with his mother at the time.

Murat was questioned by police 11 days after Madeleine went missing from the Praia da Luz resort on May 3, 2007.

Police searched the nearby villa where he lived with his mother after Sunday Mirror journalist Lori Campbell spoke to the British Embassy and the police about Mr Murat.

The expatriate, who described himself as half-Portuguese, had become known to journalists and told them he had been helping police with translation work during the search.

Last month Murat said he hoped the return of computers seized from him by police signalled they were to drop his status as a formal suspect soon.

His mother, Jenny Murat, has always maintained she was with her son at home on the night of Madeleine’s disappearance.

Under Portuguese law someone can remain an official suspect without charge for as long as the investigation is continuing.

Kate and Gerry McCann continue to remain official suspects in the inquiry.

In their libel settlement the Express Newspapers group paid £550,000 (€691,000) to the Find Madeleine campaign, and the Daily Express and Daily Star issued front-page apologies admitting the stories were inaccurate.

A spokeswoman for Murat last night said that the settlement and written apology had been agreed with 11 newspapers.

Despite a worldwide hunt for Madeleine, no trace of her has been found.