Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner claims he has information that could solve the 'scandal of the century'

The rapist, who has recently been released from jail, allegedly told a shopkeeper he is “sitting on crucial information” while shopping for a phone.

Brueckner, the prime suspect in the case of missing Brit Madeleine McCann, is said to have added he “won’t last long” outside of prison because he has “dirt” on people who want him dead.

The convicted rapist reportedly made the comments while shopping for an untraceable mobile phone.

Read more: Who is Christian Brückner and what happened to Madeleine McCann?

Shop manager Farouk Salah-Brahmin, 32, told The Sun: “Brueckner told me he had some information.

“I don't know if it’s the McCann case but he said he had evidence that could bring the scandal of the century to an end.

“He said he would end all the accusations against him. He said he can bring his own solution. He said something about USB sticks.”

Brueckner has refused to cooperate with police hunting for the missing Maddie.

“The way he said it he must have been talking about the Madeleine McCann case,” Farouk continued.

“What else could he be talking about?

“It sounded to me like he was part of something wider. Something he clearly had knowledge of. Some network or something maybe.

“I thought maybe he knows other people who were involved — but it’s clear he knows far more than he had been telling the police.

“That struck me as weird — that he said he had knowledge of this but hadn’t told police. I don’t understand why he would do that.”

CCTV shared by the Sun shows Brueckner purchasing a £90 Xiaomi Redmi Android phone and a SIM card.

Farouk added he was clearly the first person Brückner had spoken to at length since being released from jail.

He said: “I had no idea he was in my town before he walked in. I thought, ‘What does he want here in this area?’ He was just carrying a backpack and a load of supermarket shopping bags.

“I admit I was afraid. It’s a dangerous guy, and I had to be careful and keep a distance. He was directly in front of me. No space, no barrier. There he was, Christian Brueckner.

“He claimed everything that happened to him was an injustice.”

Madeleine McCann disappeared while on holiday with her family in Portugal in 2007 and the news was quickly pounced upon by the British press, becoming one of the most high-profile missing person cases ever.

Leicester-born Madeleine was only three when she went to Praia da Luz with her parents Kate and Gerry as well as her two-year-old twin siblings.

The three children fell asleep on May 3 in their holiday apartment and their parents went for dinner with friends but came back to check on them throughout the evening.

Kate discovered that Madeleine was missing at 10pm and a police investigation began.

Who is Christian Brueckner?

In 2020, German authorities identified Christian Brueckner as the prime suspect. The German national was living in Praia da Luz at the time and was said to have received a phone call nearby Madeleine’s disappearance on the night she vanished.

Brueckner, 48, was jailed in 2019 for raping a 72-year-old woman and has now been released. He also has child abuse and drug trafficking convictions.

During a deep search in May 2023, an area of Arade Dam in Silves was scoured for evidence with Brueckner said to have buried children’s toys and clothing around the site of his dog’s grave. The site is around 45 minutes from Praia da Luz and referred to by Brueckner as his “little spot of paradise”. But the search two years ago did not bring any new evidence to light.

Brueckner has always denied being involved in Madeleine's disappearance.

He has never been charged with any crimes in connection with Madeleine's disappearance from a Portuguese hotel, where she was on holiday with her parents.

Upon his release from prison, Brueckner is said to be planning to move to another country where he will not be extradited to Britain or Germany.

What are Madeleine McCann's siblings doing now?

Sean and Amelie McCann were both two at the point of disappearance and are both now 20-years-old. According to Now, they were both aspiring athletes and competed in running, swimming and triathlon.

Despite their young age at Madeleine’s disappearance, they are said to remember their sister and have grown up without her but want her back in their lives.

Kate McCann told the Sun: “They have their own friends and they keep busy and they’re really sporty but their only wish is for their big sister to come home.

“We miss our complete family of five.”

She added: “As a family 98 percent of the time we’re busy. I don’t know if that’s a conscious thing but it helps. The urge to look for Madeleine absolutely hasn’t changed at all.”

Did the McCanns use money donated to the cause to pay a mortgage?

Madeleine's Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned Limited was set up in 2007, not long after the disappearance, to supposedly help the family raise capital in their efforts to find Madeleine.

Celebrities including Sir Richard Branson and Simon Cowell made large donations but came in for controversy in October 2007 when it was revealed the family had used some of the fund to make two mortgage payments.