Russian questioned over Madeleine
Last Updated: Thursday, 17 May 2007, 09:20 GMT 10:20 UK
Police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann are questioning a Russian man after removing computer equipment from his house in Portugal.
Sergey Malinka, was taken to a police station in Portimao from his Praia da Luz flat.
He has denied any involvement and says he is "completely" innocent.
Briton Robert Murat, 33, is the only formal suspect in the case of four-year-old Madeleine, from Rothley, Leicestershire, who vanished on 3 May.
Mr Murat's cousin says he denies any involvement and that his life has "fallen apart".
Mr Malinka is believed to have previously carried out computer work for Mr Murat. He is said to have contacted detectives himself after reading reports police were probing links between Mr Murat and a Russian.
Following his release, Mr Malinka said he was interviewed as a witness and not a suspect, and that he did not have a criminal record in any country.
He said: "I've invested seven years of my life in this country trying to succeed, and suddenly in one hour it's all fallen apart."
After spending two hours at his apartment, plain clothes officers carried out two hard drives, a laptop and a black bin bag.
Earlier, Sally Eveleigh, speaking in the Algarve on behalf of Mr Murat, 33, told the BBC that her cousin vehemently denied involvement in Madeleine's disappearance.
Mr Murat, who had helped police with translation work, was questioned by detectives for 12 hours and his mother's villa was searched.
He was later given "arguido" status by police, which means he is officially a suspect - although he can request this status himself.
Officers later released Mr Murat, saying they did not have the evidence to formally arrest or charge anybody.
Ms Eveleigh said her cousin had been left in "a very bad state" and was "devastated" by the situation.
'Over-enthusiastic'
She was speaking on Mr Murat's behalf because, as police are treating him as a suspect, he is not allowed to speak directly to the media under Portuguese law.
"His whole life's fallen apart just from being over-enthusiastic trying to help people as he always does - that's his way," she said.
Meanwhile, Mr Murat's estranged wife Dawn, of Hockering, Norfolk, said she was "assisting police in any way she could".
Mr Murat, who previously lived in Hockering, had recently been living with his mother Jenny, 71, at her villa, Casa Liliana, in Praia da Luz.
The hunt for Madeleine began in the resort town two weeks ago after she was taken from the apartment where she was staying.
She disappeared from her bedroom as her parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, ate dinner at a nearby tapas restaurant.
Huge reward
The couple have said they will not return to the UK until they have found her.
Rewards of £2.5m have been offered to anyone with information leading to the four-year-old's safe return.
And on Wednesday a fighting fund to help cover the cost of the search was launched in Leicester by her uncle John McCann.
Any money raised not needed for the search for Madeleine would be used to help find missing children in the UK, Portugal and elsewhere.
New video clips of Madeleine were also broadcast on Wednesday during half-time in the Uefa Cup final in Glasgow between Spanish sides Sevilla and Espanyol.
Madeleine's aunt, Philomena McCann, of Glasgow, also visited Parliament to lobby MPs and peers for support.
Details of how to donate to the Madeleine fighting fund - at banks, by post or via the internet - can be found at www.findmadeleine.com.
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