Madeleine McCann suspect Brueckner allegedly boasts about solving 'scandal of the century' as he buys untraceable phone

Christian Brueckner, the German man identified as Madeleine McCann’s prime suspect, allegedly told staff in a mobile-phone shop that he could solve “the scandal of the century” as he browsed for an untraceable device. The claim, reported by The Sun, adds a new wrinkle to the long-running case surrounding the disappearance of three-year-old Madeleine in Portugal in 2007. Brueckner was released last week at the end of an unrelated rape sentence, according to the same report, and was said to be shopping for electronics when staff were told he had information that could bring the scandal to an end and mentioned USB sticks.

Shop manager Farouk Salah-Brahmin, 32, told The Sun that Brueckner claimed he possessed evidence that could clear him of accusations and end the controversy around the case. The worker recalled Brueckner saying he could provide a solution and that he would end the accusations against him. The newspaper described Brueckner as looking to acquire an untraceable mobile device during the interaction. Brueckner has repeatedly refused to respond to questions about Madeleine’s disappearance, and Portuguese authorities have not charged him over the case. The McCann inquiry has long centered on whether Brueckner’s movements and past offenses shed light on events in 2007, when Madeleine vanished from a holiday apartment in the Algarve.

Separately, Brueckner was observed wandering with a fake beard as he entered a takeaway shop around 9 p.m. on Friday, a pizza worker told the Mirror. The employee said Brueckner’s disguise was long and synthetic, and that his identity remained evident to staff despite the cover. The report adds a separate layer to the public sightings that have surrounded Brueckner since his release. The Mirror quoted the employee as saying the beard did little to obscure who he was.

Brueckner was named as Madeleine McCann’s prime suspect in 2020, after Portuguese authorities seized a VW camper van in connection with the investigation a year earlier. He has consistently denied involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance and no charges have been brought against him in relation to her case. The Sun’s account of Brueckner’s comments in the shop aligns with ongoing broader questions about how much he may know about what happened in 2007, though authorities have not confirmed any new information publicly.

Last week, Brueckner announced he was homeless and has been staying in emergency accommodation in Neumünster, about 40 miles north of Hamburg. His lawyer acknowledged concerns about his client’s past child-sex and rape convictions, but declined to comment further on the McCann investigation. Officials have not disclosed new developments in the case, and investigators continue to assess any credible information that could advance the inquiry into Madeleine’s disappearance in Portugal nearly two decades ago.

The McCann case remains one of Europe’s most scrutinized missing-person investigations. Madeleine McCann disappeared from her bed on May 3, 2007, while her family was vacationing in a Praia da Luz apartment in Portugal. Police have pursued Brueckner as a lead for years, with the case drawing renewed public attention when he was publicly identified as a suspect in 2020. Authorities emphasize that no definitive link to Madeleine’s disappearance has been established, and Brueckner has not been charged in connection with the case. The latest reported interactions, if confirmed, would add to a complex timeline of sightings, forensic reviews, and international investigations that have spanned more than a decade.