This is the headline over a new article by Dr Ludwig de Braeckeleer on OhMyNews International. It reads in part:
'In recent times, allegations have resurfaced regarding payments offered to key witnesses of the Lockerbie trial.
'Specifically, there have been rumors that Majid Giaka, Paul and Tony Gauci were each paid about US$4 million for their help in the conviction of Megrahi for the bombing of Pan Am 103 over Scotland on Dec. 21, 1988. (...)
'Richard Marquise, the FBI agent who led the Lockerbie investigation, forcefully denied that witnesses were ever offered any money.
'"I can assure you that no witnesses were ever offered any money by anyone--including the CIA," Marquise told OhmyNews. "This issue came up at trial and I spoke with the defense lawyers about it in Edinburgh in 1999 -- before trial. No one was promised or even told that they could get money for saying anything. Every FBI agent was under specific orders not to mention money to any potential witness." (...)
'A source speaking on condition of anonymity told Jeff Stein, the national security editor of the Congressional Quarterly, that a key witness, Tony Gauci, and his brother were each paid somewhere between $3 million to $4 million for providing information leading to the conviction of Megrahi.
'Moreover, former State Department lawyer Michael Scharf confirmed to OhmyNews that rewards were paid in the context of the Lockerbie trial.
'"I knew that rewards payments were made, but not the amount. The Awards for Terrorism Information program has been around since the 1980s, and has been expanded to rewards for information leading to the arrest or conviction of international indicted war criminals like Karadzic and Mladic. When I worked at the Office of the Legal Adviser of the State Department I was involved in the program," Scharf wrote in an email to OhmyNews. (...)
'Prof Black, often referred to as the architect of the Lockerbie trial, agrees. "The issue of payments made or promised to witnesses forms an important part of the Grounds of Appeal," Black told the author.
'"At one time in Scotland, if payment had been made, or promised, to a witness that was an absolute bar to his giving evidence. Today, it is simply a factor that must be taken into account in assessing his credibility. However, in order for this to be done, it is necessary that the court should know that the payment was made or promised. Failure by the Crown to disclose the promise or the payment is a serious breach of their duty to the court and to the administration of justice," Black said.'
Concern: Lockerbie witnesses were paid.
ReplyDeleteDear Dr.Ludwig
Congratulation for your report, but Mr Richard Marquise did not only show me the A/4 Prospect, but he personal hand over to me the 4 million US$-Prospect and its visiting card after the *offer to me, in its Office in the headquarters of the FBI in Washington.
*The offer of Mr Marquise was approximately like that:
"I can offer to you up to US$ 4 millionen and a new itentity and you can live under a new names in the USA, if you confirm on a minutes, that the MST-13 timer fragment descends from a MST-13 timer supplied to Libya."
Before I traveled to Zurich back, he had invited me additionally to a diner into a restaurant in Washington. I rejected the offer.
The Prospect is now under security for the Appeal Court in Edinburgh. I hope that one can analyze the DNS von Mr Marquise on the Prospect, if it becomes necessary.
When I was in Zurich back, I telephoned to police commissioner Peter Flückiger at Berne and informed him about the offer.
NB: It is truth, with an interview with Professor Dr. Koechler, I confounded the name of Richard Marquise with Buck Revell, but it was 100% Mr. Marquise!
by Edwin Bollier, MEBO Ltd, Switzerland
Now let's get this straight, Mr Bollier, are you saying that Richard Marquise of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation tried to bribe you with $4 million to testify in court that the so-called 'Fragment of the Imagination' came from one of the MST-13 timers that your firm, Mebo, supplied to Libya?
ReplyDeleteWhy on earth didn't you accept this very generous offer from Mr Marquise?
And is it true that you are going to re-start the pirate radio station 'Radio North Sea International' as soon as the Lockerbie case is finished?
'And is it true that you are going to re-start the pirate radio station 'Radio North Sea International' as soon as the Lockerbie case is finished?'
ReplyDeleteWhat does this mean?
Answer for no.1:
ReplyDeleteI should not testify the affair at the court in Kamp van Zeist, but testify 1991 on police minutes during the invitation by Mr. Marquise in Washington.
2. No start again with free Radio, like Radio Nordsee International.
Edwin Bollier
I too have beenfgollowing Lockerbie for a long time. Its my belief, which I have demonstrated in some detail that has not been refuted that Lockerbie was no more than a done deal betweeen almost the highest levels in the US Government and the Iranian to arrange the revenge Iran would be permitted to take for the Vincennes attack, and permitted at the highest US levels.
ReplyDeleteIt was dumped on the desk of the CIA, specifically Mr Cannistraro to sort out, with the proviso that Iran should not be blamed.
The CIA is heavily implicated Lockerbie, but not in the usual way anti-Americans think. They set up the way in which a single Iranian could bomb 103, and then led a highly competent distraction exercise going as far as dumping a suitcase and its contents that they had blown up beforehand (in the US) at the site of the Lockerbie tragedy.
That suitcase did not contain a device in my opinion as no detonator was recovered.
They then had to arrange for a bit of microchip PT-58 to be inserted into the evidence chain, which they did at RARDE.
I won't go into the circumstances of that.
With about 4 precise and tactical interventions the CIA permitted the Lockerbie atrocity and polluted the investigation.
In his bluster Marquise says that he could not believe the hundreds of dedicated officers involved could have been involved in a distraction exercise. They weren't. A very very small number of CIA officials, who were dedicated to carrying out a responsibility that had been laid on them at the highest levels.
He then said to me that he couldn't concieve of a CIA operation so small!
In the immediate aftermath, rumour and speculation were allowed to run rife and largely Syrian and PFLP elements seemed to be taking the blame.
This became Paul Foot's theory, to which Jim Swire is still dedicated, but the last substantial work on that dates from 1991!
In November 1990 Juge Bruguierethe French terrorist examining magistrate told a meeting in Washington which Cannistraro attended and I believe Marquise did not that Libya was to be blamed for the UTA explosion.
Immediately the Lockerbie case took another direction. As early as February 1991 Lord Peter Fraser is reported as saying he wants indictments by the Autumn, speaking to an FBI officer a Mr Mueller, an exchange which is reported in Richard Marquises book 'Scotbom'.
In April 1991 the D&G Annual report suggest the LICC, the Lockerbie secondary school will be handed back to the community by the end of the year, before vital elements in the prosecution's case have been collected. The handing back of LICC is, of course, indicative that a conclusion in Lockerbie will have been reached by then.
Marquise reports Mueller's comment to him as happening on the same day Gauci and Bollier identifications of Megrahi are made - 15 February 1991
Gradually Mr Henderson and Mr Marquise were worked into Mr Cannistraro's trap to implicate Libya. The coda was played in with Mr Giaka's extraordinary abduction. In November 1991 charges were brought against Mr Megrahi and Mr Fhimah, 6 weeks after similar such charges had been laid by the French against 4 Libyans.
Mr Marquise has done us a great service by issuing his book, which is practically a diary of his time with the Lockerbie investigation. I tend to accept it as fairly truthful, and I don't think it's been made up. It might be economic on the actualite as the saying foes, but that's different.
Mr Marquise does not relate his claimed offer to Mr Bollier, but he organised his trip to the US and there wwas internal FBI discussion of his safety beforehand.
Mr Marquise does not seem to have had CIA connections (and believes they can do no wrong), Mr Revell worked in a team with the CIA in the 1980s.
Is it possible, Mr Bollier was told in general of US FBI witness protection programs by Mr Marquise, with a specific offer coming from Mr Revell?
Reconstructing memories at this distance is very difficult, but I think that before inneundo is thrown about, we should try to establish what the facts are.
Patrick, comments about North Sea pirate radio ships won't work. The technology is deader than a dodo, and made little economic sense even to Mr Bollier when he sold the vessel off to the Libyans in th1 1980s
If I could drag the discussion away from the central issue of Mr Bollier's previous involvement with a pirate radio station to the actual subject of Professor Braeckeleer's article -
ReplyDeleteI recall, but am unable to locate, a story concerning Majid Giaka who I presume is dead. A CIA spokesman said that Giaka was not going to be paid, not because he was lying but because his testimony was not believed which I thought at the time was a bit churlish. If Giaka isn't still in "the programme" where is he?