Monday, 18 June 2012

Secret summit between Scots law chief and Libyan PM over Lockerbie bombing

[This is the headline over a report, labeled “exclusive”, published on the Daily Record website on 16 June. It reads in part:]

Scotland’s top law officer has met the Libyan PM in secret to speed up the Lockerbie bombing probe.

Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland held talks in London with Abdurahim el-Keib last month.

It followed another summit between the two and FBI chief Robert Mueller in Tripoli in April.

The recent London meeting was not publicised at the time for security reasons.

Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the only person convicted for the bombing, died at his home in Libya on May 20.

Last night, a Crown Office spokesman said: “The investigation into the involvement of others with Megrahi in the Lockerbie bombing remains open and the Crown is working with Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary and US authorities to pursue available lines of inquiry.

“In April, at a meeting in Tripoli, the Lord Advocate expressed his desire to the Libyan prime minister that there will be a positive response to his request for co-operation and inter-national letter of request.

“At a further meeting with the Lord Advocate in London in May, the Libyan prime minister asked for clarification on issues relating to the conduct of the proposed investigation in Libya. The Lord Advocate has undertaken to provide this.” (…)

The spokesman added: “The prime minister made it clear that he recognised the seriousness of this crime and following the clarification he would take this forward as a priority.

“As the investigation remains live, and in order to preserve its integrity, it would not be appropriate to offer further comment.”

Megrahi was freed from Greenock jail in August 2009 on compassionate grounds after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

The intelligence officer always denied any responsibility for the bombing, the deadliest terror incident on UK soil.

[This story appeared in The Herald and on this blog on 25 May. So much for Daily Record exclusives!]

2 comments:

  1. MISSION LOCKERBIE, 2012 (google translation, german/english):

    Never we can receive from Saif el-Islam on this way background information within the "Lockerbie Affair" and the real Deal, between ex Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Gaddafi- Regime, about the premature release of innocent Abdelbaset al-Megrahi...

    How can a defence lawyer be so negligent and under the guise of the team of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the first meeting with the detained son of slain Muammar Gaddafi, Saif el-Islam, a secret document and miniature spy equipment to bring to Libya, in the town of Zintan ?
    Libyan officials allege Taylor was carrying a pen camera and attempting to give Seif a coded letter from his former right-hand man Mohammed Ismail, who is on the run.
    All four International Criminal Court officials detained in Libya since 7 June, 2012.

    by Edwin and Mahnaz Bollier, MEBO Ltd. Switzerland. URL: www.lockerbie.ch

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  2. Calling the story an ‘exclusive’ and talk about meetings held in secret for security reasons is intended to give the ‘on-going investigation’ a status it doesn’t deserve.

    The headline should be, ‘Libyan Minster with no knowledge of Lockerbie, asked to co-operate with investigators who refuse to look at the evidence’.

    And of course, as the investigation remains ‘live’ it would be inappropriate to comment anytime soon.

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