Madeleine McCann ‘was snatched by a paedo who knew the family’ claims shamed cop who led original Maddie investigation

MADELEINE McCann could have been abducted by a paedo who was close to her family without them ever knowing, it’s claimed.

Ex-cop Goncalo Amaral, who led the 2007 disappearance investigation, said a line of enquiry was a paedophile ring with links to people close to the McCann family, but without their knowledge.

Speaking to Australian podcast Maddie, Amaral also claimed a relevant statement to that line of inquiry was initially withheld by British police, who were working alongside Portuguese authorities.

Amaral, who was later removed from the investigation, said: “The British authorities tried to conceal the statement and nothing was done about this statement.

“They were not followed up. Nobody investigated anything related to them.”

There is no suggestion Maddie’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, were involved in her disappearance or could have done anything to stop it happening.

The Sun Online has contacted the Metropolitan Police for a comment in regards to Amaral’s allegations, but they said they do not comment on ongoing investigations.

The British authorities tried to conceal the statement and nothing was done about this statement

Ex Maddie cop Goncalo Amaral

Amaral was removed as head of the investigation after criticising British detectives — claiming they were only following leads the McCanns asked them to pursue.

Maddie vanished 12 years ago on May 3, 2007, when her family, from Leicestershire, were holidaying in Praia da Luz, in the Algarve, Portugal.

Gerry and Kate left their three children — including toddler twins Sean and Amelie  — sleeping in their apartment while they dined at a tapas bar 130 yards away.

When Kate returned to check on the kids at about 10pm that evening, she discovered that Maddie was not in her bed and was missing.

Scotland Yard are still chasing “two final lines of inquiry” with an extra £300,000 funding set to be pledged by the Home Office to keep the Operation Grange investigation going until the end of March next year.

Detectives believe she was stolen by child traffickers, sex fiends or during a burglary gone wrong and are understood to be closing in on a suspect.

It emerged last week that a convicted German child murderer currently serving a life term in jail is a new suspect.

Martin Ney, 48, who murdered three children, is said to resemble the photofit of a man seen carrying a child from the Portuguese holiday complex where the youngster vanished.

Ney, 48, emerged as a key suspect in May 2019 — and it is believed he was in Portugal when Maddie went missing.

He was working for an evangelical church on a project for the homeless, it’s claimed.

But he told investigators he did not murder there and denied any involvement in Maddie’s disappearance.

Mr Amaral said he believed British police will close the case by making a German suspect their “scapegoat”.

He claimed: “They are preparing the end of the investigation, with a German paedophile who is in prison right now.”