By: CECÍLIA PIRES
POLICE INVESTIGATING the disappearance of Madeleine McCann interviewed three friends of the McCanns on Wednesday morning.
Rachael Oldfield, Dr Russell O’Brien and Dr Fiona Payne had travelled from the UK to help the PJ.
“We are more than happy to help the police with their on-going investigation”, said Rachel Oldfield on behalf of the group. “All of us want to do anything we can to help find Madeleine and re-unite her with her loving parents.”
Prime suspect Robert Murat has been questioned again this week and Michaela Walczuch, Robert Murat’s German partner in the Romigen property website, and her Portuguese ex-husband António Luís, were also asked to return to the PJ offices in Portimão.
PJ Chief-inspector Olegário Sousa told The Resident that Robert Murat was presented with new information and forensic results. He was interviewed for more than seven hours on Tuesday and was still at PJ offices when The Resident went to press.
Meanwhile, António Toscano, the Spanish freelance reporter working with El Mundo was also expected to return to Portugal on Wednesday (July 11). It was reported that he was coming to deliver new evidence documents to the PJ.
In London, new Prime Minister Gordon Brown thanked Portuguese officials and police investigators on Monday for their excellent work and support on the Madeleine McCann case. This followed a meeting with his Portuguese counterpart José Socrates.
On Friday, a 39-year old Dutch man appeared in court in Eindhoven in the Netherlands after allegedly trying to extort two million euros from the McCann family. His actions, said Gerry McCann, has caused the family “considerable distress”.
It is understood that the man had sent six emails to Gerry and Kate McCann, saying he knew the whereabouts of Madeleine but would only reveal the information after receiving the money.
The McCanns got in touch with the Portuguese Polícia Judiciária and they immediately contacted the Dutch authorities. It is believed that the search for the sender of the emails involved the British police.
After the man’s arrest by the Dutch National Crime Squad, Gerry said they were particularly pleased that the Portuguese, British and Dutch police worked so closely together,
 The McCanns, last week Photo: SUPPLIED |  |
adding: “Kate and I would especially like to thank the Dutch police for treating this seriously and directing their resources into investigating this outrageous crime”.
Gerry McCann said the family remains convinced that Madeleine is alive and asked for anyone with any information about her whereabouts to contact the police.
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