We had nothing to do with Lockerbie

[What follows is the text of a report headlined Return of Lockerbie bomber 'a priority' that was published in The Scotsman on this date in 2007:]

Saif al-Islam, the son of Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi, yesterday said securing the release of the Lockerbie bomber was more important to Libya than the return of £2.7 billion paid in compensation to victims families.

Islam, Col Gaddafi's most influential son, said he was confident Libya would be proved innocent of the 1988 terrorist attack, which claimed 270 lives.

Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi is currently serving a life sentence at Gateside Prison, Greenock.

Last month the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission ruled that Megrahi "may have suffered a miscarriage of justice" and referred the case back to the Court of Appeal. But an agreement signed between Tony Blair and Col Gaddafi in May could allow the ex-Libyan secret agent to complete his sentence in Libya - with the consent of Scottish ministers.

On a visit to France yesterday, Islam said: "The top of our priority is the return of Mr Megrahi and not the return of the money because he is more important than the money.

"We are confident one day it [will] be proved to the world we had nothing to do with Lockerbie."