Madeleine McCann: Police search area near Portuguese reservoir

       The case against German police's prime suspect in Madeleine McCann’s disappearance is close to collapsing, it has been claimed.

       Christian Brueckner, 45, from Germany, was named as the key suspect in the disappearance by prosecutors last year. He has always vehemently denied any involvement.

       The case against him centres on testimony from his former friend Helge Busching that claimed Brueckner told him that Madeleine “didn’t scream”.

       Brueckner also allegedly told him in 2008 that he had been involved in the girl’s abduction from Praia da Luz a year earlier, while the pair were at a Spanish kite festival.

       He gave his friend's name to British police in 2017, the 10th anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance. He then said what he thought of Brueckner: “One word. Guilty.”

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       Christian Brueckner (Image: Shutterstock)

       But there is now concerns from German prosecutors that Mr Busching is “wobbling” and could withdraw his evidence, a source told the Sun.

       They said: “He was paid a huge sum to repeat his statement in a German newspaper and now he's pulling the plug.

       “It just goes to show you what type of people you are dealing with and their credibility as witnesses.”

       Convicted paedophile Brueckner is currently is prison serving a seven-year sentence for raping a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz in 2005.

       In June of this year, Brueckner called the case against him “groundless” in a handwritten note. He said he and Mr Busching had been friends in Portugal but fell out in 2007 over a drug deal gone wrong.

       But there is now concerns from German prosecutors that Mr Busching is “wobbling” and could withdraw his evidence, a source told the Sun.

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       Madeleine McCann (Image: Getty)

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       Discussing it this morning, Christopher Hope on a GB News panel said: “(The case against Brueckner) never quite sat with me, it all seemed too convenient. Where was the evidence?”

       Another panel member said: “You really feel for Kate and Jerry (McCann) on the basis that their hopes get up and dashed again. It feels like it is being dashed for the final time.”

       Madeleine McCann vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal in May 2007 at age 3 and has never been seen since but detectives claim to have “concrete evidence” that she is dead. She would now be 20.

       Earlier this week, artist Simone Malik released portraits of what she believes Madeleine would look like now.

       Discussing it this morning, Christopher Hope on a GB News panel said: “(The case against Brueckner) never quite sat with me, it all seemed too convenient. Where was the evidence?”

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