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Six witnesses have now cast doubt on the alibi of Robert Murat, a suspect over the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, after a British barrister came forward to say he saw Mr Murat near the McCanns' holiday flat on the night she went missing.

Mr Murat, 34, has always maintained that he spent the night of May 3, 2007 at home with his mother in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz, but all six witnesses directly contradict his version of events.

	Murat has denied any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance

Madeleine's mother, Kate McCann, is said to believe that there are "questions that need to be answered" concerning Mr Murat's movements in the hours around Madeleine's disappearance.

Mr Murat, a British expatriate, was the first person to be named as an "arguido" or official suspect in the case. He vehemently denies any involvement in the disappearance of Madeleine shortly before her fourth birthday. His mother Jenny, 71, has told Portuguese police that her son was with her all night.

But it has emerged that the British barrister who gave a statement to officers told them he saw Mr Murat on a street corner opposite the McCanns' Ocean Club apartment 30 minutes after Madeleine was reported missing.

The barrister shared a drink with Mr Murat the following evening, together with Jayne Jensen, a British holidaymaker. He described Mr Murat's behaviour as "odd", saying he went to change his clothes because it had been a long day, even though the barrister was sure Mr Murat had changed his clothes earlier. Mrs Jensen, a 54-year-old businesswoman, has told police she saw Mr Murat smoking a cigarette on the street corner at the time he was seen by the barrister.

Charlotte Pennington, a nanny working at the Ocean Club resort, also claims to have seen Mr Murat in the hours after Madeleine vanished.

The other three witnesses who say they saw him that night are all members of the McCanns' holiday group, who are understood to have told police that Mr Murat introduced himself to them on the night of May 3. According to Fiona Payne, Rachael Oldfield and Russell O'Brien, Mr Murat said: "I am Robert. Can I help in the search?"

Mrs Jensen contacted police in Portugal within hours of Madeleine's disappearance, but it was not until six weeks ago that police officers from Leicestershire took a formal statement from her, which has now been passed on to Portuguese police.

Last month, Jenny Murat said anyone who claimed to have seen her son on the night of May 3 was a liar.

Mrs McCann and her husband Gerry, of Rothley, Leics, also remain official suspects in the case. They deny any involvement in their daughter's disappearance.