Wednesday 29 September 2010

“Ongoing” police investigation into Lockerbie bombing slammed

[This is the heading on a press release just issued by Christine Grahame MSP. It reads as follows:]

Only one full-time Scottish police officer is currently working on the Lockerbie bombing investigation which authorities said was still “ongoing” following the release of Abdelbaset al Megrahi. The revelation has prompted SNP MSP Christine Grahame to describe the “open” investigation as little more than a device to avoid Police disclosing a range of controversial material related to the case under Freedom of Information laws. Ms Grahame said:

“Correspondence I have received from the Chief Constable of Dumfries and Galloway Police has confirmed that only one full-time police officer is currently working on the case.

“The bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie in 1988 previously resulted in the biggest police investigation ever carried out in the UK and I think this revelation simply confirms that the “open” nature of the investigation is little more than a device to avoid the authorities disclosing additional uncomfortable facts which undermine the prosecution case.

“I wrote to Dumfries and Galloway Police back in August to determine what progress had been made in the investigation over the past 12 months, but they are unable to say if they have any new leads.

“I also asked the Chief Constable to confirm whether the Iranian backed Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command were no longer suspects in the case. I posed this question because the former Lord Advocate, Lord Fraser, recently told journalists that he was unhappy about the manner in which the police investigation failed to thoroughly pursue the links to the PFLP-GC. Lord Fraser implied it was “reasonable” to conclude that members of that terrorist organisation were in fact US intelligence assets and this was the reason that end of the investigation was not followed through and the suspects released before Scottish police investigators were able to interrogate them.

“Dumfries and Galloway Police have not been able to confirm or deny that the Iranian sponsored PFLP-GC remain suspects in this case.

“It is increasingly apparent that only a full and thorough public inquiry will address the outstanding concerns about the safety of the conviction and publicly reveal all the known facts related to this case, including the reasons why key suspects in the PFLP-GC were not properly investigated.

“The fact Dumfries and Galloway Police only have one full time officer working on the case poses some significant questions about how keen they are to pursue all avenues.”

[A report based on this press release appears on the website of the Maltese newspaper The Times.

Further information regarding the status of the "investigation" from the Chief Constable of Dumfries and Galloway can be found in this blog post from 29 October 2009.]

7 comments:

  1. The former Lord Advocate, Lord Fraser, recently told journalists that he was unhappy about the manner in which the police investigation failed to thoroughly pursue the links to the PFLP-GC. Lord Fraser implied it was “reasonable” to conclude that members of that terrorist organisation were in fact US intelligence assets and this was the reason that end of the investigation was not followed through and the suspects released before Scottish police investigators were able to interrogate them.

    Ouch!!!

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  2. This is absolutely shocking and surely a mamouth abuse of process

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  3. Keep one cop "working" the case - a fiction from the start, by the way - and then use the ongoing "investigation" to block release of relevant info.

    I don't know if things are going better over there, economy-wise. Redundant positions are being eliminated here left and right. But this is one copper who wont likely succumb to budget cuts anytime soon. Someone should run a profile - safest job in the UK.

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  4. Hello Adam, hope you are well. Things aren't going better here: we have a big statement coming from Westminster in October and no one is expecting good news in that.

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  5. 'Tis a shame. Tough times all around.

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  6. In the 1996 adjournment debate Prime Minister John Major claimed to the House of Commons that the investigation was "open" and invited persons with relevant information to "come forward".

    It transpired the investigation was "open" only if you agreed with the dubious conclusion of the FAI that the primary suitcase arrived unaccompanied on flight PA103A from Frankfurt. Compelling evidence that the suitcase was at Hrathrow prior to PA103A's arrival was dismissed out of hand.

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  7. It seems to be true, I've seen the submission and response with Baz's name, in 1997/97 (I forget), before even William Taylor and Paul Foot started promoting London infiltration.

    Took me 'til September 2009 to see it. Kudos for trying, Baz.

    Open investigation, right....

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