Keeping a dying man in jail pending appeal is unnecessary on the part of the Scottish court of criminal appeal
The refusal of the Scottish court of criminal appeal to free Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi on bail while he awaits his appeal against his conviction as the Lockerbie bomber, has added unease to unease. It was not edifying to see lawyers quibble about when Megrahi, who has prostate cancer, is expected to die, then have the judge base his bail decision on that prediction.
At the Scottish court of criminal appeal, Lord Hamilton concluded that he might have a few more years left and therefore should not be released pending appeal. By way of consolation, he ruled that should his condition deteriorate more rapidly than expected, he could renew his application. What concerns me is that his appeal is unlikely to be heard before the summer. Why?
There has, for years, been a feeling among lawyers and others who have studied the case that Megrahi was not responsible for the bombing. Even Dr Jim Swire, the most prominent campaigner on behalf of Lockerbie victims, whose daughter died in the bombing, does not believe in his guilt; nor do the relatives of many other victims.
It has been alleged that because of the desire to have sanctions lifted against Libya, Muammar Gadafy delivered him to the Scottish authorities rather than the principal perpetrator. [RB: I am not aware of anyone having suggested that Megrahi was handed over in substitution for some other Libyan perpetrator.] The evidence against Megrahi has always seemed slightly deficient although, of course, the jury had convicted him [sic; he was in fact convicted by a court of three judges], and an appeal court in 2002 had turned down his first appeal.
Last year, the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission studied new evidence and decided it was enough to justify Megrahi being granted another appeal. That does not mean the commission necessarily believes he is innocent, nor that the appeal court will necessarily overturn his conviction. But it does mean that he has a strong case.
Here's the dilemma - more moral than legal. If he is innocent, keeping a dying man in jail pending his appeal is a particularly cruel injustice to add to that of his years in prison. So why does the appeal have to wait so long? There can be no logistical reason.
[From an article by Marcel Berlins in The Guardian.]
Lockerbie victim 271, Mr Abdelbaset al Megrahi's dilemma is, that he became a political hostage, because the PanAm 103 assassination attempt was used for a conspiracy against Libya.
ReplyDeleteJust now doubtful results of investigation are confirmed:
PanAm 103 crash investgation, November, 2008
Flash: Today it has been confirmed that only 3 passengers had each 3 luggage items checked into PanAm flight PA-103/A at Frankfurt airport on Dezember 21, 1988. (Corresponding with the passenger/luggage list, C-140V and FAG KIK TADD 881221 computer printout).
Thus it is proven that 3 inter-line bags, unknown and unaccompanied, were transported by Lufthansa flight LH-631 from Kuwait and loaded at Frankfurt on the feeder flight PanAm PA-103/A to London/Heathrow airport!
Until today remains unexplained to whom these 3 luggage items belonged and whether they were loaded on flight PanAm 103 from London to New York?
Text in German language:
Die fatalen Auswirkungen der mangelhaften Fein-Ermittlungen des Deutschen BUNDESKRIMINALAMTES gipfelt an Fahrlässigkeit, weil vom BKA nicht bemerkt wurde,
dass * 3 unbekannte und unbegleitete inter-line Gepäckstücke von Flug LH-631 aus KUWAIT auf den Flug PA-103/A transferiert wurden, welche keiner Person zugeordnet werden konnten und über diese bis anhin ein Stillschweigen besteht!
Siehe: * 3 inter-line Gepäckstücke von Zubringer-Flug LH-631 aus KUWAIT ex Tray Nr. B-4809, B-6001, B-7418.
Diese 3 Gepäckstücke wurden falscherweise vom BKA folgend zugeteilt, siehe Text: Nach Ermittlungen kann es sich hier mit hoher Wahrscheinlichkeit nur um die drei vom Passagier WALKER in KUWAIT eingecheckten Gepäckstücke gehandelt haben. *falsch. (Ref. Seite 16, BKA Rapport)
*MEBO Aufklärung:
Tatsächlich reiste der Passagier Nr. 143 T. WALKER mit seinen 3 Gepäckstücken mit dem selben Flug LH-631 von KUWAIT nach FRANFURT. WALKER hatte sich um 15:57 Uhr am Checking Counter in FRANKFURT mit seinen 3 Gepäckstücken ex Tray Nr. B-7056, B-9531, und B-11366 neu eingecheckt.
MEBO ÜBERPRÜFUNG.
Wichtig: Von den 124 Passagieren, welche in FRANKFURT auf Flug PA-103/A eingecheckt hatten gab es laut Passagierliste C140V, nur 3 Passagiere mit je 3 Gepäckstücken:
1.> Passagier Nr.143 T.WALKER hatte 3 Gepäckstücke (3 M):
ex Tray Nr. B-7056, B-9531, B-11366;
2.> Passagier Nr.99 K.NOONAN hatte 3 Gepäckstücke (3 M):
ex Tray Nr. B-3546, B-10773, B-10467
Diese Gepäckstücke wurden über den Inter-line Counter Nr. 203 weiterbefördert;
3.> Passagier Nr.152 J.WAIDO hatte am Haupt-Checking Counter 3 Gepäckstücke (3 M) eingecheckt:
ex Tray Nr. B-3593, B-4120, B-11511;
Somit steht klar fest, dass die 3 inter-line Gepäckstücke, ebenfalls von Flug LH-631 aus KUWAIT, welche aber über den Inter-line Counter HM-3 codiert und durchgecheckt wurden, nicht dem T. WALKER zugeordnet werden dürfen, wie vom BKA erwogen. (verantwortungsloser Untersuchungsmangel).
Es konnte bis heute nicht Aufgeklärt werden, ob dieses Baggage in LONDON- Heatrow auf den "Mainflight" PA-103 nach JFK transferiert wurde. Nach Zeugenaussage von BKA Kommissar Hans Jürgen FUHL (Crown Zeuge No. 566) wurden in Heathrow Dokumente vernichtet!
Org.Text Crown/ über BKA Kommissar FUHL:
He commented that other organisations who were investigating the bombing had taken some of the documentation before the BKA could get their hands on it. He also noted that PanAm had apparently instructed staff at HEATHROW to destroy documentation. [Ref. Doc.1 CHAPTER 13 page 38]
Vermutlich hätten diese Dokumente Klarheit über die 3 Gepäckstücke aus KUWAIT gebracht, vor allem über die wichtigste Frage ob diese 3 unbekannten Gepäckstücke in LONDON Heathrow auf den "Mainflight" PA-103 nach JFK eingeschleust wurden?
FAZIT: Auf dem Zubringer-Flug PA-103/A von FRANKFURT nach LONDON-Heathrow wurde nicht ein "Sprengstoff Koffer" von AIR MALTA auf PA-103/A transferiert, sondern 3 unbekannte merkwürdige Gepäckstücke aus KUWAIT, transferiert von LUFTHANSA Flug LH-631 auf PA-103/A!
by EDWIN BOLLIER, MEBO Ltd, Switzerlan
Zürich, 17. November, 2008
Vergl. F9543