Madeleine Chief Appoints Senior Team

The new man in charge of the hunt for missing Madeleine McCann has signalled his intention to solve the case by bringing in a crack team

Paulo Rebelo - who recently took over the inquiry into Madeleine's disappearance in Portugal - has appointed four senior officers to boost the investigation.

He said each one of the officers is an expert in his field and has been seconded from other areas of the police in the country.

It comes after the senior officer on the Madeleine case, Goncalo Amaral, was reportedly sacked for accusing the McCanns of manipulating the media.

And the second-in-command, Chief Inspector Tavares Almeida, was revealed to have asked for an extended leave of absence.

The new members of the team include a chief inspector and an inspector brought in from the Lisbon headquarters of the Policia Judiciaria (PJ).

Both of them are specialists in homicide and will concentrate on the theory that Madeleine was murdered.

The third new team member will focus on examining data and pursuing new lines of inquiry.

And the fourth officer is an inspector from Portugal's serious crimes police section.

Madeleine, from Rothley, Leicestershire, disappeared in May from her family's apartment in Praia da Luz while her parents, both doctors, dined nearby with friends.

McCanns Welcome New Police Chief

Gerry and Kate McCann have welcomed news that one of Portugal's top cops is taking over the case. They hope Paulo Rebelo will quickly clear them as suspects - and get on with the search for their daughter, their family spokesman Clarence Mitchell says.

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