Portugal ? A Portuguese detective investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann was removed from the case Tuesday after scolding British police, saying they were being misled by the girl’s parents, who are suspects.

Portuguese police said Goncalo Amaral, a senior detective overseeing the investigation, had been taken off the case. They gave no reason for the decision, but his removal came shortly after he claimed that British police have been pursuing leads “created and cultivated” by Kate and Gerry McCann to shift suspicion away from themselves.

“The British police have been working solely on what the McCanns want and what suits them,” Amaral was quoted as saying Tuesday by daily paper Diario de Noticias.

Madeline McCann disappeared May 3, a few days before her 4th birthday, during a family vacation in Portugal.