Gulf Times:
Millionaires who bankrolled the campaign to find Madeleine McCann are refusing to fund her parents�?legal defence, the Evening Standard revealed.

Two wealthy individuals who helped Kate and Gerry McCann in their global search for Madeleine now say they will not pledge any more cash at this time.

When contacted by the Standard they refused to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue. But one leading tycoon said that without knowing the facts about the Madeleine case, it would not be possible to pay for their legal team.

The couple have been named formal suspects in the police investigation and may be charged at any time.

The McCanns have hired Britain’s top criminal law specialists Kingsley Napley to clear their reputations. But with the investigation dragging on, their legal costs could run into millions if the case goes to trial.

As revealed in the Standard, the trustees of Madeleine’s Fund - which has raised more than £1mn �?on Wednesday announced they would not allow the McCanns to use the money to pay their lawyers. The couple had said earlier they did not want the money anyway.

One businessman told the Standard: ‘I am not going to contribute any more. It is a difficult issue and it is not something I propose to get engaged in. It is the most confusing scenario anybody has ever seen. I am not judge and jury and I hope what I am reading is wrong. If they cannot convince the people who already put the money in, they are not starting in a good place. If they can turn the tide in some form maybe there will be loads of backers. But right now this does not look a good place to go.�?/P>

Another tycoon who pledged more than £100,000 to the Find Madeleine appeal ruled out making a donation to the legal fighting fund.

‘We won’t be pledging any more right now,�?said the entrepreneur, adding: ‘I don’t think that at the moment we would allow the money to be swapped to cover defence costs, but this is a difficult position and a very sensitive issue.�?/P>

Backers who have bankrolled the hunt for Madeleine include author J K Rowling, Sir Richard Branson, Topshop owner Sir Philip Green, Ann Summers boss Jacqueline Gold, sports retailing magnate Sir Tom Hunter and EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou�?/P>