Robert Murat today accepted “very substantial” libel damages at the High Court in London from several news outlets over allegations that he was involved in Madeleine McCann's abduction.
Mr Murat (34), an Algarve-based property consultant, settled his libel claims against several British news outlets for £600,000 at the High Court.
The media outlets originally named in the action, which was launched in April, were Sky, the Daily Express, Sunday Express, Daily Star, Daily Mail, Evening Standard, Metro, Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, News of the World, The Sunand The Scotsman.
Mr Murat was at the High Court
to hear his solicitor, Louis Charalambous, tell Mr Justice Eady that it was now
acknowledged that allegations made against his client, Micaela Walczuch and Sergey Malinka were entirely untrue.
Mr Charalambous said: “The defendants accept that none of the
claimants had any involvement whatever in the abduction of Madeleine McCann.
“They accept that none of the claimants has any paedophile tendencies or connection with paedophiles or paedophile websites and that none of them lied to
the police or obstructed the investigations.
“They accept that Mr Murat’s actions after the abduction were entirely proper and were motivated by a desire to help find Madeleine McCann.
Outside court Mr Murat said: “The newspapers in this case brought about the total and utter destruction of mine and my family’s life and caused immense distress.”
In May, Mr Murat secured an apology from The Scotsmanfor a piece it ran about the disappearance of four-year-old Madeleine from Praia da Luz in Portugal last year.
Sky said on Tuesday the TV station was not involved in the current legal action and had not been served any papers by Mr Murat’s lawyers.
Today's development follows legal action by Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry, which led to front page apologies from the Daily Expressand Daily Starin March.
The newspapers also agreed to make payments to the couple’s Find Madeleine fund.
Mr 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.
PA