[This is the headline over a short report (which does not seem to feature on the newspaper's website) in today's Scottish edition of The Mail on Sunday. It reads as follows:]
A terrorist who many believe carried out the Lockerbie bombing has been freed from jail in Sweden.
Mohammed Abu Talb ... was released less than three weeks after Addelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, the Libyan convicted of the atrocity, was released from prison in Scotland.
Talb has served 20 years of a life term in his adopted country for a series of bombings in Amsterdam and Copenhagen in 1985, which killed one and injured dozens.
The Palestinian terrorist is thought to have had the backing, finance, equipment and contacts to have downed the Pan Am jet in 1988.
As he was a key witness in the trial of Megrahi, the Crown Office says Talb has immunity from prosecution.
[If the Crown Office did indeed say this, it is -- once again -- in error as to the law of Scotland. A Crown witness gains immunity from prosecution only if he is called as an accomplice to give evidence against those involved with him in the crime charged. Talb was not called by the Crown in this capacity. He had been named by the two Libyan accused as the person who, acting for a Palestinian group, was really responsible for the destruction of Pan Am 103. The Crown called him to obtain a denial of this. He was not called as an accomplice of the Libyans.
The law on the subject of the extent and limits of the immunity from prosecution of Crown witnesses is clearly set out in the 5-judge case of O'Neill v Wilson 1983 SCCR 265.]
MISSION LOCKERBIE:
ReplyDeleteLockerbie: the truth is finally coming out...
Slowly Pandora's box is opening and it becomes obvious that British and US secret services were actively participating in involving Libya and its official, Mr Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi, into the Lockerbie tragedy!
Michael Meacher's blog says:
+++ What the legal documents reveal is that the key prosecution witness, Tony Gauci, a Maltese shopkeeper, and his brother had been secretly given rewards of $3 million in a deal discussed by Scottish detectives and the US Government. Gauci had given the crucial evidence at the trial declaring that Megrahi had bought clothes later used in the suitcase that allegedly contained the Lockerbie bomb. No other evidence connected Megrahi to the bomb.
Now for the first time these latest documents disclose that in 1989 the FBI told the Scottish police that they wanted to offer Tony Gauci "unlimited money" and $10,000 straightaway. The US Justice Department was also asked to pay a further £1 million to Gauci's brother who did not give evidence, but halped to identify the clothing and to "maintain the resolve of his brother". The implications of these revelations are sensational.
These secret payments were brought to light by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, with many references contained in the private diaries of the detectives involved, though not in their official notebooks. Other highly relevant evidence is made known for the first time by these documents. They disclose that in 23 police interviews before the trial Gauci gave contradictory evidence about the person buying the clothes, his age, appearance, and the date of purchase.
+++
SCCRC: "Malta material", concerning miscarriage of justice:
> Extract from DCI Bell Diary (HOLMES version) (28/9/1989) [SCCRC
Appendix: chapter 23/3] which indicates that on 28th September 1989 the FBI discussed with the Scottish Police an offer of unlimited money to Tony Gauci,with $10,000 being available immediately.
> Memo from DCI Bell to DSIO Gilchrist (21/2/1991). Message M2616 from DSIO Gilchrist to DCI Bell (21/2/1991) The above memo was sent in response to this message, instructing Bell to report whether Gauci had been approached re inclusion in US witness protection programme.
> Letter from SIO to Maltese police security branch (18/8/1999) Advised that Paul & Tony Gauci have now been accepted onto the witness protection programme and gives details of (Strathclyde police) contact officer.
> Further Letter re Application for Reward (19/4/2002, SCCRC). - $ 2mio for witness no. 595, Tony Gauci and $ 1mio for witness no. 598, Paul Gauci...
The sheer mockery:
FBI Task Force Chief Richard Marquise answered Gideon Levy's question:
R.M: I can tell you that now money was paid to any witness, any witness prior to the trial. No promise of money was made to any witness prior to the trial. G.L.: And was there paid any money after he trial? R.M.: I'm not gonna answer that...
MEBO's 100% evidence: The sale of clothes took demonstrably place on 23rd of November 1988. Mr Megrahi was not in MALTA at this date! All other evidence can be neglected...
The sales date accepted by the judges - 7th of December 1988 - is definitely wrong! See MEBO document no. 498.rtf. and Eng. Lumpert's Affidavit about the crucial MST-13 circuit board, on our website.
A goal: that open the document under National Security! More classified material is published soon.
by Edwin and Mahnaz Bollier, MEBO Ltd., Swizuerland