MSPs meet US officials over al-Megrahi

US officials were in Edinburgh earlier this month to interview MSPs over the release of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al-Megrahi.

Representatives from the Senate’s Committee on Foreign Relations including its chair, US Senator Robert Menendez, travelled to Edinburgh on 16 September. they have launched an inquiry into the release following concerns it was linked to an oil deal with Megrahi’s home nation of Libya.

It is believed the delegation wanted to question Scottish justice officials over claims that their decision to release Megrahi was heavily influenced by oil giant BP in a bid to secure a $900 million dollar exploration deal with Libya. Both BP and the British government have denied the allegations.

Mr Al-Megrahi, was the only person to be convicted of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland in 1988. He was released on compassionate grounds last year after being diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer. 

First Minister Alex Salmond had refused to send MSPs to appear before the hearing in Washington but did offer to hold an official meeting with delegates if they chose to visit Scotland. In a letter to senators he wrote that: “The Scottish Government has nothing to hide and nothing to fear from any properly constituted inquiry, but the Scottish Government is rightly accountable to the Scottish Parliament and not to the US Senate.”

The Scottish government described the meeting as a matter of courtesy. Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, who made the decision to free Megrahi, did not attend. MSPs stressed that the decision had been based on compassionate grounds alone, while Labour justice spokesman Robert Baker called for the medical report that had been reviewed by MacAskill at the time of the decision to be published.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government told The Journal: “Scottish Government officials had a very amicable meeting with Senator Menendez's staff, in which they were pleased to respond to questions about the Justice Secretary's decision to grant compassionate release. We believe that it was a helpful exchange.”

Despite the three-month prognosis given by doctors at the time of his release, Megrahi has lived for over a year. On Tuesday 14 September he met with Jim Swire, a Scottish doctor who lost his daughter in the bombing. Mr. Swire, who believes in the convicted Lockerbie bomber’s innocence, said that Megrahi “remains a sick man” but was in better health than expected.

Megrahi’s family have refused to comment on the state of his health.