Wednesday 5 December 2012

Further Justice Committee consideration of Megrahi petition

The Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee will once again be considering Justice for Megrahi’s petition (PE1370) calling upon the Scottish Government to institute an independent inquiry into the Lockerbie investigation and prosecution and the conviction of Abdelbaset Megrahi at its meeting commencing at 10am on Tuesday, 11 December in Holyrood’s committee room 4. There will be a good attendance by JFM committee members and distinguished supporters. The parliamentary record of the Justice Committee’s previous consideration of the petition can be found here (second item).
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3 comments:

  1. SM05 December, 2012

    "The Scottish Parliament’s Justice-System Protecting Committee will once again pretend to be be considering Justice for Megrahi’s petition (PE1370) calling upon the Scottish Government to institute an independent inquiry into the Lockerbie investigation and prosecution and the conviction of Abdelbaset Megrahi..."

    ...well knowing than any other answer than "no" will be like a dog biting its master.

    Despite each of them being well aware, that there is not two bricks on top of each other of the defense for the verdict.

    How was it now?

    The fragment turned out to come from a timer that was never produced by any factory in the world (a fact that the police knew but forgot to mention). This fact alone leaves the Crown's case cold. A smoking gun that could never have been available to the accused.

    Not even an attempt to explain how the security system in Malta should have been bypassed...

    ... while in Heathrow, it provingly was, by a break-in at the very place where Panam 103's luggage was stored and at the relevant time, although the police again happened to forget to mention it in time.

    The buying of clothes, where evidence strongly points towards a day where Megrahi was not on Malta.

    The Guiness Book of Records holder of the "Least Convincing Witness"-distinction Tony Gaucy now also known to have been promised money before the trial.

    - - -

    Ah, well. The police is still investigating. And the finest people have been to Libya looking for evidence.

    So "no", no need for any inquiry.

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  2. Quincey Riddle05 December, 2012

    Dear SM,

    I know this is probably redundant given that you support us, but, however skeptically we perceive this western democracy thing to be, it's all we've got to work with. And, credit where it's due, yes the Scottish government is utterly entrenched in its position, however, in both the sessions before the Public Petitions Committee and the Justice Committee, the votes have always split down party lines, and PE1370's status has been maintained open by the very party of government.

    It is vital that the parliamentarians keep this petition open, and, what is more, our allegations of criminality (which the Scottish Government, instead of inviting an independent investigator to study as we requested, left us no option but to refer to the very institutions we are leveling our complaints at) are an integral part of our campaign for an inquiry.

    One might though question what is going on with the fourth estate in a situation where here we are accusing the Crown and the police of perverting the course of justice in the biggest case ever to have come before the High Court of Justiciary and the press reaction has been to more or less ignore the issue. That is staggering!

    Yours,
    Robert Forrester.

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  3. SM06 December, 2012

    Dear Robert,

    naturally my post would be regarded as an attack on the work of the Justice Committee.

    Which, by keeping the PE1370 open, actually has been more or less the only official light in the end of the tunnel ever since SCCRC's conclusion. This is much to be appreciated and as you say, "credit where it's due".

    What I was more referring to was the institution's place as a part of a system, which keeps itself alive, where other modern systems would - and should - fail. And the "party-line" dependency you mention.

    The very existence of institutions - like also the appeal court, SCCRC, and a police force 'still investigating' - is used as a way of legitimizing a clearly failing system.

    And dragging out matters. Unlike what we'd all like to believe, there is really no better killer of justice than time, and this case is a glaring example.

    If your FDA worked the same way you'd have had 100 times the Thalidomide victims. Would never be allowed.

    But a system that essentially support plane-bombers by barking up the wrong tree and being utterly unwilling to correct it? More healthy than ever.

    You write
    "this western democracy thing...it's all we've got to work with"
    Accepted, and I have nothing but praise for JfM's enormous patience in this matter.

    "One might though question what is going on with the fourth estate..."

    All illusions are painfully gone, aren't they?

    'Everything you read in newspapers is absolutely true, except for that rare story of which you happen to have first-hand knowledge.' (Erwin Knoll, journalist)

    Like in courts, simple omission of facts is a the easiest paint a distorted picture.

    Sincerely,
    Frank

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