[Dr Jim Swire] admitted he feels responsible [for Abdelbaset Megrahi's plight] because he met Libyan leader Colonel Gadaffi in 1998 and persuaded him to hand over al-Megrahi and another suspect for trial.
The retired GP said: “I believe he was handed over by Gadaffi because of my meetings with him.
“But after hearing the evidence at the trial, I believe he isn’t guilty.”
He added: “I believe the truth will never come out while I’m alive.
“Justice will not be done in my lifetime.”
[From today's issue of The Scottish Sun and drawn to my attention by a blog reader who wishes it to be clearly understood that the newspaper in question is not his regular morning read. The full article can be accessed here.]
[From an e-mail from Dr Swire to me: "I don't know how the Sun can live with itself, they've used the mistakes from another article to misrepresent my position, without ever bothering to ask me what I actually thought."]
It is very, very important to get the appeal started as soon as possible. Surely, there are ways in law to do this. The Human Rights Act states 'In the determination of his civil rights and obligations or of any criminal charge against him, everyone is entitled to a fair and public hearing within a reasonable time'
ReplyDeleteIf sadly Megrahi dies before the appeal for the sake of his family, for the Libyans who have suffered and died because of the effects of the sanctions and for the Lockerbie victims then everything possible MUST be done to ensure the appeal goes ahead. The UK government's tactics will be to delay things so much that over a period of years people will forget.
This is NOT a 'new' news story! Dr. Swire made similar comments in 2003 after the dismissial of the first appeal.
ReplyDeleteAs one of his closer unpaid advisors for 12+ years, I respect tremendously the depth of his feelings - he wants (as do all of the relatives) to know why and how their loved ones were murdered.
They have had two undeniable requests 'Truth and Justice' as without truth - there can never be justice!
Various Governments have agreed with them that there should be a full Independent Inquiry into events before, during and after the murder of 270 victims from 21nations.
Politics and geo-politics have consipired to make such an inquiry a forlorne hope - too many shadowy figures have too many secrets to keep concealed.
Dr. Swire known I cannot agree in any way with his claim of 'responsibility' in placing Mr. Megrahi in Prison.
The truth is on the record if you know where to look: Megrahi and Fimah, having been accused of murder HAD to take their own individual decisions to surrender for trial.
Following agreement between the UN Secretary General and senior figures in London, Washington and Tripoli (and after categoric assurances from the then South African President Nelson Mandela) the two accused boarded an Italian Airforce jet assigned to United Nations duty.
They were accompanied by a number of UN nominated senior officials including Counsel to the Secretary-General Hans Corell.
On landing at a Dutch Airforce base - they were asked by senior officials from both the Dutch Justice and Foreign Ministries if they had 'surrendered' of their own free will, and having confirmed this several times, in the presence of international witnesses - they were then asked if they agreed to 'fast-track'extradition from Dutch soil to the 'terrain of the Scottish Court in the Netherlands'
AT ANY POINT WHILE ON DUTCH SOIL they could have changed their minds and would then have been subjected to a prolonged extradition procedure.
Having been arrested and charged at Kamp Zeist -the sole responsibility for thie case rested with not one but two 'Scottish' defence teams and a large Libyan defence team.
As one who was present during the trial and first appeal, I was (and am still) appalled by events in the court (and some of them out of it)
One many days of the trial, as consultant to the major Dutch channel 2Vandaag, I repeatedly expressed my disbelief and concerns...I STILL believe in Megrahi's innocence!
ForDr. Swire to claim 'he is responsible' is well-intentioned but, sadly wrong...Jim Swaire and many others played small but important roles in ensuring a trial in a neutral venue actually occurred (For 12 long years we were told it would never happen)...but for him to claim HE was the one responsible for putting megrahi in jail, is both inaccurate and extremely sad.
I KNOW Jim Swire to be a decent man, dedicated to finding who and why the daughter he and the other members of his family loved...I KNOW the intense emotional cost to him of relentless campaigning and making himself freely available to literally tens of thousands of interviews. He does deserve the truth and justice - but I fear he (and we) will be denied it.
He DOES deserve our understanding, support and on occasions such as this - gentle reminding that he was NOT responsible.
If I were Dr Swire, I too would feel some responsibility even though in reality there are no grounds whatsoever to do so. I would also feel terrible shame and do so to be citizen from a country (here I mean the UK) that has judges that are capable of putting national interest before justice.
ReplyDeleteWhen the two Libyans handed themselves over they would have been in the belief they would get a fair trial.
MANY, MANY people, (the majority in fact) had absolute confidence that a fair and open trial would occur.
ReplyDeleteIn fact the defence of Megrahi was, in certain vital areas, totally insufficient. I was puzzled at the time as to why the 'Libyan' Defence Team did not intervene (but they seem not to have).
Quite apart from the obviously duplicity of three of the main witnesses AND the Crown - the defence called THREE witnesses AND THEN ENDED THERI CALLING OF WITNESSES..(they had a list of over 700 witnesses to call!)
ONE of the three trial judges was known to have a track record of finding guilt but the other two were highly respected. Rumour abounds that in their deliberations there was at least ONE of the three dissented with the guilty verdict.
Given their 82 page judgement document - which I urge you to read (Ruth), they expressed serious concerns in respect of three witnesses, Edwin Bollier (Mebo Switzerland),Abdel Majid/Giaka (Alleged Libyan 'supergrass') and Tony Gaucci (Maltese shopkeeper) and yet they found Megrahi guilty!!!!
The remaining real scandal has been the slow pace of fo the 'first' and 'second' Scottish defence teams...the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (They did do a superbe job finding FOUR additional grounds for appeal that the 'third' Scottish Defence team had missed!). Needless to say the Crown, the Westminster Government and possibly 'gentlemen' in Washington have delayed, obstructed, obfuscated and worked as SLOWLY as possible...(Possibly to wait until the current occupnat of the White House departs in January.
This would then enable Megrahito be release and Obama to say 'Nothing to do with me!'
I am aware (as recently as last week) of continuing close links between foremr senior official of the FBI (and possibly others) and some members of the various US Relatives' groups. These former officials, (One with a high media profile) have their entire careers founded on their work on the Lockerbie case.
In the happy event of the second appeal being held and granted (and Megrahi bring proved to be innocent) THEY will have their reputations (and those of their legendary organisations) in ashes before the forum of world opinion...
I must, however, repeat what I said in my first comment... JIm Swire is a lovely decent man, who want to know who and why his daughter was murdered. For him to claim he is solely responsible for putting Mr. Megrahi in prison, is simply misguided and inaccurate. History will record his important role campagning to have a trial at immense emotional cost to himself and his family. History, however will record the surprising large number of persons, who during the trial, by circumstance,incompetence or even worse ensured that an innocentman was imprisoned...shame... shame...