Thursday 7 April 2016

Lockerbie verdict 'politically influenced'

[This is the headline over a report published on the BBC News website on this date in 2001. It reads as follows:]

A United Nations observer at the trial of two Libyans accused of the Lockerbie bombing has said the judgment appeared to be politically influenced.

Speaking at a conference on the trial at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Austrian philosophy Professor Hans Köchler said there appeared to be pressure from the USA and UK.

Prof Köchler was one of five people appointed to observe the trial held at the Scottish Court in Camp Zeist in the Netherlands.

Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of the killing of 270 people in the 1988 bomb attack on Pan Am Flight 103.

His co-accused Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah was acquitted and has since returned to a hero's welcome in Tripoli.

Prof Köchler, who said his views were his own and not those of the United Nations, said: "The present judgment is logically inconsistent.

"You cannot come out with a verdict of guilty for one and innocent for the other when they were both being tried with the same evidence.

"In my opinion, there seemed to be considerable political influence on the judges and the verdict.

"My guess is that it came from the United States and the United Kingdom. This was my impression.”

The Innsbruck University professor said he had submitted his report on the trial to UN General Secretary Kofi Annan, who had forwarded it to the Scottish authorities.

The conference is expected to discuss Libyan demands for sanctions to be abolished.

Both US President George W Bush and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair have said that sanctions will not be lifted until Libya accepts responsibility for the bombing and pays compensation.

Al Megrahi's legal team are appealing against his conviction.

[RB: A fuller account by Neil Mackay in the following day’s Sunday Herald can be read here.]

1 comment:

  1. DOSSIER Lockerbie 2016, doc. 501058.rtf, google translation, German English

    Scottish 'Operation Sandwood'

    Is a fatal impacting evidence fraud against Libya, in the case of Lockerbie - Pan Am 103, shortly before the enlightenment ?
    A team of Scottish policemen, headed by a Chief Inspector, called Stuart Johnstone, is investigating the conduct of the entire Lockerbie case. Their investigation has been going on for three years. They are due to hand in a report late spring or early summer this year. It is quite possible that the Operation Sandwood report will recommend criminal charges against police, forensic scientists and lawyers for evidence tampering and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

    Assistant Chief Constable Kate Thomson, in Scotland, must be the most crucial witness in the new Lockerbie - PanAm 103, investigation, "Operation Sandwood"!

    Review:
    For a assessment of a crucial piece of evidence on an MST-13 timer fragment (PT-35) for a circumstantial evidence process in the "Lockerbie case, Pan Am 103" against Libya and Abdelbaset al Megrahi, Edwin Bollier, owner of MEBO Ltd, in Switzerland, was was invited by the Crown Office ('Lockerbie criminal trial team' in Dumfries) an 13 Sept 1999, by Procurator Mirian Watson.
    For a fateful (color determination) of two parts of MST 13 timer fragment "Patchwork" (PT-35/b) and (DP-31/a) - against Libya - Edwin Bollier, on Sept. 17, 1999, demanded by the Lockerbie criminal trial team, headed by Procurator Mirian Watson in addition to Procurator David Harvie, for a Crown witness, this was assured and Det. Kate Thomson (Dumfries police) was determined for that matter.

    Let surprise us, what the Crown witness Det. Kate Thomson (meanwhile Assistant Chief Constable) before the Procuratoren Mirian Watson and David Harvie, stated in their true statement about colour of the presented real MST-13 Timerfragment (PT-35/b), and the second part (DP-31/a)...

    Link to the Statements created with the 'Lockerbie criminal trial team' in Dumfries (CROWN OFFICE): Lockerbie.ch/2016/Crown Office.html

    See also continnous details in article 'Operation Sandwood' in German Language >>>
    on our webpage: www.lockerbie.ch

    by Edwin Bollier, MEBO Ltd. Telecommunication Switzerland.


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