'Libyan government did not pay Lockerbie bomber advice'

Scotland rejected allegations yesterday that its decision to free the Lockerbie bomber because he is terminally ill was based on medical advice from doctors paid by Libya.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that the Libyan government paid for the advice that suggested Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi was eligible for compassionate release under Scottish law, namely that he had less than three months to live.

However, the Scottish government said the prognosis of the three doctors paid for by the Libyans - two of whom are British - came too late to affect Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill's decision to free Mr Megrahi last month.

A spokesman said Mr MacAskill had drawn on expert advice from "a number" of specialists for a clinical assessment of Mr Megrahi's life expectancy, including two consultant oncologists and a palliative care team.

"Taking all the advice into account, the director of Health and Care at SPS (Scottish Prison Service) concluded that his clinical assessment was that a three month prognosis for the patient was a reasonable estimate," he said.

The revelations are the latest in a series of disclosures about the process that led to the release of Mr Megrahi, the only person convicted of the 1988 bombing of a plane over the Scottish town of Lockerbie that killed 270 people.

His release was condemned by the United States, where many of the victims had lived, and sparked allegations of links to lucrative trade deals with oil-rich Libya - something Britain has strongly denied.