The Maltese authorities should launch an inquiry into the Lockerbie case and question a key Maltese witness, according to the UN monitor of the original trial of two Libyans.

Hans Kochler told The Sunday Times the government should defend the country's reputation and show the world its willingness to act in the interest of its people.

Prof. Kochler was the expert picked by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to monitor the Lockerbie trial at Camp Zeist that found Libyan Abdelbasset Al-Megrahi guilty of the bombing. His report after the trial said that a "miscarriage of justice" had occurred.

The guilty verdict depended heavily on the testimony of Maltese witness Tony Gauci, who identified Mr Al-Megrahi as the man who bought clothes from his shop in Sliema that were later found wrapped around the bomb.

But in Mr Al-Megrahi's second appeal - which he dropped after being released from a Scottish jail on compassionate grounds - he was due to present evidence showing Mr Gauci's testimony to be replete with inconsistencies.

Documents published recently by Al-Megrahi's lawyers say that after the trial Mr Gauci was paid a sum "in excess of $2 million", while his brother Paul was paid "in excess of $1 million" for their cooperation.

Reports last week that Mr Al-Megrahi had succumbed to prostate cancer were denied by his lawyer.

The abandonment of the appeal means, however, that Malta will remain associated with the 1988 terrorist act when a Pan Am 747 exploded over Lockerbie in Scotland, killing all 259 people on board and 11 locals.

Mr Gauci's testimony was instrumental in convicting Mr Al-Megrahi.

The prosecution's argument was that the bomb left on an Air Malta flight and was eventually transferred to the Pan Am flight via Germany.

Prof. Kochler told The Sunday Times he never understood why consecutive administrations in Malta had acted so timidly and done virtually nothing to prevent the country's reputation from being compromised.

"As a member of the United Nations and of the European Union, Malta must demonstrate vis-a-vis the world that it is able and willing to act in the interest of her people... If they are committed to the rule of law, the Maltese authorities should open their own investigation and interrogate Mr Gauci," Prof. Kochler said.

He also urged the government to accept a request made to support an international attempt asking the UN to conduct an inquiry into the Lockerbie bombing.

A letter in this regard has been submitted to the President of UN General Assembly signed by a number of people, including families of the victims, renowned authors, politicians and journalists, as well as Archbishop Desmond Tutu - well known for his defence of human rights.

Foreign Affairs Minister Tonio Borg had told The Sunday Times that the government is "considering" the request, but there have been no further developments since.

The letter requesting the government's support was sent to Dr Borg by Robert Black, the Scottish legal expert who was the architect of the Lockerbie trial. He has always spoken out against the original guilty verdict.

His letter to Dr Borg reads: "The signatories to this initiative are of the belief that both the good reputation of Malta and Luqa airport have been quite unjustly stained by association with this affair... We hope that Malta will use its best offices to advance this cause."

The Labour Party believes the government should accept the request. LP spokesman on Foreign Affairs George Vella said he would "not hesitate" to take up the issue in Parliament to push the government to take a stand on the issue.

He gave three reasons for this: the necessity for the truth to emerge, the possibility of establishing the bomb did not leave Malta, and the obligation to the victims' families to identify the real offender. He also stressed such an investigation would have to be sensitive to the victims' families.

Prof. Black told The Sunday Times yesterday: "A UN inquiry could remove this wholly unjustified slur on the reputation of Malta, as well as clearing the name of a dying man."

cmuscat@timesofmalta.com