Britain Mulls Second Appeal For Bomber
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
EDINBURGH, Scotland — Britain has not struck a deal to let the Lockerbie bomber to complete his prison sentence in Libya but is mulling a second appeal from the man against his conviction, the premier’s office said yesterday.
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond told Scotland’s Parliament that he had expressed concern to Prime Minister Blair over what he claimed was an agreement that could lead to Abdel Baset Ali al-Megrahi being transferred to his homeland.
Mr. Megrahi, currently imprisoned in a Scottish jail, received a life sentence in 2001 for the 1988 attack on a Pan Am jetliner that killed 270 people.
Mr. Blair’s office denied any deal had been agreed during the leader’s visit to Tripoli last month for the former Libyan intelligence agent to be sent home, and said Scottish authorities were only considering an appeal against his conviction.
“There is a legal process currently under way in Scotland reviewing this case, which is not expected to conclude until later this summer,” Mr. Blair’s office said in a statement. “It is totally wrong to suggest that we have reached any agreement with the Libyan government in this case.”
Britain’s Foreign Office said the British leader had signed a “memorandum of understanding” pledging closer judicial cooperation during talks with Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi on Mr. Blair’s recent tour of Africa. The agreement included a pledge to cooperate on prisoner transfers, but “does not cover this case,” Mr. Blair’s office said.
Mr. Megrahi’s Scotland-based lawyer, Tony Kelly, said he knew of no plan to transfer his client to Libya. The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission said it was considering a request from Mr. Megrahi to mount a second formal appeal against his conviction.
A first appeal was heard immediately after his trial and conviction at a specially convened Scottish court in the Netherlands in 2001. It was turned down in March 2002.
“The position as far as the commission is concerned is that a decision will be issued at the end of this month,” said senior legal officer Robin Johnston.
