Overview

• Christian Brueckner, 49, was freed from a German prison on September 17 under supervised conditions that include an electronic ankle tag, probation oversight and residence and travel restrictions.
• A shop manager says Brueckner spent about 90 minutes in his store buying a budget smartphone, showed off his ankle tag and claimed he held information on USB sticks that could end the “scandal of the century.”
• The same shopkeeper says Brueckner asked about obtaining a SIM card without showing ID, which is illegal in Germany, though other reporting says he produced identification during the purchase.
• Brueckner has been seen publicly since his release — including at a nightclub and fast‑food outlets — and separate reports describe him wearing a false beard at a takeaway.
• The Metropolitan Police say he remains a suspect in their investigation and refused an interview requested via an International Letter of Request, while German prosecutors maintain they lack sufficient evidence to charge him in Madeleine McCann’s disappearance.