Robbie the Pict and Hans Koechler

Here is (1) the text of an e-mail sent to Robbie the Pict by Dr Hans Koechler, the UN-appointed observer at the Lockerbie trial and (2) the text of an e-mail sent today by Robbie to, amongst others, the First Minister and the Minister of Justice. The issue is the preservation of the wreckage from Pan Am 103. Items posted on this blog on 02 and 29 October 2007 are relevant.

(1) From: I.P.O.

To: RtP

Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2007 3:14 PM

Vienna, 7 November 2007

P/RE/20727

Dear Robbie!

I have received your message concerning the remains of the aircraft.

I agree with you that all forensic evidence, including the aircraft remains, has to be stored in a safe place where it can be assured that it will not be tampered with.

From here in Austria I cannot judge which is the best place. I do not know whether the Scottish authorities are capable of safe storage of this kind of sensitive items. So far, the judicial authorities' performance in this case is not very reassuring.

With best regards,

Hans Koechler

(2) Greetings Gentlemen,

This is forwarded for your interest. Leaving aside the obvious requirements of any criminal re-investigation there are two other dimensions to this situation which I respectfully urge you to consider.

If John Parkes and myself are right about an accidental explosion of two diplomatic freight crates of TOW missiles and/or their component parts, the perpetrators will have to find an alternative bomber and if we let that happen we have the blood of innocent civilians in Iran or Syria on our hands. It has the potential to fuel other agendas towards these two countries. Secondly, from a domestic transport perspective, we may have a serious problem regarding daily health and safety. Familiarity breeds both contempt and criminal practice, and if this illegal carriage of munitions samples, or 'returns' or any traffic at all flowing from the UK arms industry continues unchecked we may have another Lockerbie any minute. God forbid it came down over Glasgow. (Good advert for the Games.)

You may ask what has it to do with you, Mr Pict? I would simply answer that in certain circumstances of national interest we may need all hands to the pump. I am an ex-pilot who imediately understood the AIB report, I am en ex-RAF Policeman who has knowledge of what used to be transported on international flights - I watched and them being loaded whilst standing as an armed guard, my 35 years experience negotiating the Crown Office and the Courts has gifted me circumspection, I am not afraid to speak the truth and, as one of the sovereign people of Scotland, I say 'not in our name'.

After a period of not correcting or dealing with a problem, you own it. This will soon be said about reparations concerning the criminal extortion of tolls on the A87, especially while 129 convictions remain upheld and £33m has been taken from road-users - half a £million from Skye Transport hauliers alone!

With best regards,

Robbie.