Robert Murat, the first person to be declared an official suspect by police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, has been told he is to be cleared, it was reported.
British expat Mr Murat, who lives with his mother in a villa less than 100 metres from the spot where Madeleine was last seen, was taken in for questioning by police 11 days after the four-year-old disappeared in May.
Police searched his house and garden using specialist sniffer dogs after suspicions were aroused over his interest in the case.
Mr Murat, (33), whose father is Portuguese, had earlier offered his services as a translator to police working on the case and became a familiar sight around the crime scene in the days after Madeleine's disappearance.
After questioning the property consultant for several hours at their local headquarters in the town of Portimao, Portugal's Policia Judiciaria (PJ) declared him an "arguido" - or official suspect - in the case.
They imposed restrictions on his movement and took him in for further questioning later. He has never been formally arrested or charged.
Madeleine went missing from her family's rented holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on the Algarve on the night of May 3rd while her parents Gerry and Kate were eating tapas in a restaurant nearby.
The McCanns were themselves declared arguidos after tests on DNA samples found in their hire car were taken as suggesting Madeleine's body had been transported in the vehicle. They strenuously deny any involvement.
Today, the Portuguese weekly newspaper Solreported that Mr Murat had now been told that police have no case against him. But he is to remain an arguido until the investigation is complete to avoid compromising other ongoing inquiries, the newspaper said.
PA