Gaddafi assassination plot and PC Fletcher murder, linked

Libya is demanding Britain provide details of its alleged involvement in a plot to kill Colonel Gaddafi in return for co-operation over the murder of PC Yvonne Fletcher, it was revealed yesterday.

A senior Libyan minister said discussions between the two countries over the two cases were proceeding "in parallel" and his Government was "waiting for some information" from Britain about the attempt on the Libyan leader's life.

Britain has always denied involvement in a 1996 attempt against Colonel Gaddafi which led to the deaths of six bystanders, despite allegations it was funded by MI6.

Mohammed Siala, Libya's Secretary for International Co-operation, said today: "There is this case (regarding PC Fletcher) and there is another case when somebody tried to assassinate the leader (Gaddafi).

"These two cases are linked together and there is an ongoing process vis-a-vis both cases.

"We are giving access to information and they are going in parallel so we are waiting for some information from the UK concerning the other case."

His comments are likely to ignite further controversy about the UK's relations with the north African state, following outrage over the reception awarded to freed Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Al Megrahi.

PC Fletcher was shot and killed while on duty outside the Libyan embassy in central London in April 1984. It is thought the bullet that killed her was fired from a window on the building's first floor.

Her killer has never been found, but is thought to have been smuggled out of the country and back to Libya after the shooting.

Following the thaw in relations between the two countries, and the visit of Tony Blair in 2004, hopes were raised that her killer would be brought to justice.

But visits to Tripoli by Metropolitan police officers in 2004, 2006 and again two years ago appeared to yield little progress.

Renegade MI5 agent David Shayler was the first to suggest Britain was involved in a plot to kill Colonel Gaddafi.

He claimed in a BBC Panorama programme that his opposite number in MI6 had told him Britain paid about £100,000 to back the plot.

Then foreign secretary Robin Cook denied the claims, describing them as "pure fantasy".

In 2000, a Secret Service report linking MI6 with an alleged plot was posted on the internet, suggesting operatives knew of the plot two months in advance.

The London-based Arab newspaper Al-Hayat reported that rebels attacked Gaddafi's motorcade near the city of Sirte in February 1996.

Mr Siala denied Mr Megrahi's release was linked directly to a deal between the UK and Libya over oil.

But he said it had removed an obstacle to further cooperation between the two countries.

He criticised the Scottish Government for restricting access to documents that, he said, could help prove Mr Megrahi's innocence.

And he said Scottish ministers did not want Mr Megrahi to go through a retrial because it would have been embarrassing when he was cleared, he said.

"I think they want this fight to be closed. They do not want more consideration of the fight.

"There is a lot of information, even with the court (that) our lawyers are not permitted to see.

"Some of the documents we have not seen because of what they call national security.

"We are just trying to know the facts."

On the results of the deal, he said: "This will open an avenue for developing relations.