Lockerbie relative: Scotland must review the verdict against Megrahi

In December 1988 my eldest daughter Flora was murdered aboard PanAm 103 over Lockerbie. She was flying to her American boyfriend for Christmas. Flora had been studying medicine at Nottingham: she was offered a special research post at Queen's Square (neurology), interrupting her medical career to do a PhD. That was where she had met her boyfriend. We found the letter from Cambridge accepting her to complete her medical studies afterwards when clearing her room. She was keeping the good news to ring us on Christmas Day.

When indictments were issued by the US and the UK against Megrahi and another Libyan in 1991, I and some others became convinced that Megrahi was a scapegoat, and that Western intelligence deliberately ‘guided’ their unsuspecting Lordships (there was no jury) into reaching a US politically-desired verdict at the trial.

A key witness, we now know, was offered $2 million before testifying, and a key item of forensic evidence appeared to have been prepared in the USA and introduced into the evidence chain as if it had been found in the fields round Lockerbie. I find all this profoundly repugnant. My daughter’s life and all those other lives were not expendable bargaining chips to be toyed with as a tool of US foreign policy. Flora was all about honesty and truth. Why should her real killers be sacrosanct? Why should we be prevented from finding the truth?

Before Megrahi was allowed home on compassionate grounds by Kenny MacAskill, I had begged him to let him go. Flora would have approved the compassion. Megrahi is now dying of prostate cancer in Tripoli, but at least Scotland had the balls to show compassion, when others were drooling for vengeance, in ignorance of the truth. Scotland must review the verdict against Megrahi; none can do this for us. The Justice for Megrahi (JFM) group has a petition due to come before the Holyrood Justice Committee in the next few months. SNP politicians still claim to believe the verdict is right.

A recent small poll by a Scottish Sunday paper (500 Scots) found that 52 per cent thought the verdict should be reviewed. Scotland needs to make absolutely sure that we get this case sorted; our reputation depends upon it. Maybe those like me who believe that the trial was politically driven have got it wrong, but let’s have an honest look. That requires an inquiry into the verdict, and that in turn requires the stamp of the SNP’s authority.

That is why JFM’s petition requests a full objective inquiry into the verdict against Megrahi. I would much prefer that to happen before Megrahi dies. But the search for the truth will continue. Reviewing how this verdict was ever reached is enormously important for the self respect of Scots: particularly as we consider leaving the Union, our independent community will need a wholly impartial and trusted justice system.