Justified anger over Megrahi’s TV appearance

British Foreign Secretary William Hague had good reason to be miffed at the appearance on Libyan television of Lockerbie bomber Addelbaset al-Megrahi, who was released from a Scottish prison two years ago on compassionate grounds. His annoyance is shared by millions who followed the case and who expect justice to be seen to be done fully.

Bombing an airliner in mid-air, killing no fewer than 270 people just before Christmas in 1988, was a heinous crime. The case is of particular interest to Malta as it was alleged that the bomb that downed the huge airliner had started its journey at the island’s airport, a claim that was always strongly denied.

Mr Megrahi was released on compassionate grounds when he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, with the Scottish government accepting medical advice that he had only three months to live. He had served only eight years of his 27-year jail term. Now, just as the Libyan dictator holds firm in his resolve to kill opponents of his autocratic rule, whom he calls rats and cockroaches, the civilised world takes a step back and stares in anger at the appearance of Mr Megrahi on television in what appeared to be a pro-government rally.

Mr Hague lost no time in giving his reaction: “This (Mr Megrahi’s release) was absolutely the wrong thing to do. It shows the medical advice it was based on was pretty much worthless and I think many people, particularly the families of those killed at Lockerbie, I think their anger and outrage at this release will be further intensified by what we have seen. So it has always been our view this was a mistake and this simply confirms that.”

Yet, the Scottish government still holds its ground. It said: “Al Megrahi is dying of terminal prostate cancer and was released on compassionate grounds based on the recommendations of the Parole Board, the prison governor and the medical report of the Scottish Prison Service’s most senior health professional...This material is all in the public domain, including the medical report, and it all vindicates the Scottish government’s position. Indeed, it is clear that only the Scottish government played with a straight bat on this matter... The Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee examined all relevant aspects of this issue (Mr Megrahi’s release) and concluded that the decision was taken in good faith.”

Yet, few outside Scotland could share its full sense of justice for, as The Times had said at the time of his release, however much British government ministers denied claims of a double deal with the Libyan government, details of the story made public at the time strengthened the suspicion that Mr Megrahi’s release had more to do with Britain’s national interests than with compassionate grounds.

Indeed, the then Justice Secretary, Jack Straw had agreed not to exclude Mr Megrahi from a prisoner transfer plan in 2007 because of “overwhelming national interests”. Adding fuel to the controversy was the ratification of an oil exploration contract with BP.

The story will not go away, more so since the claim made by Muammar Gaddafi’s former Justice Minister and now head of the National Transitional Council, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, that he had proof that the Libyan leader had personally ordered the Lockerbie bombing.

Right now, Mr Jalil has his country’s fight for freedom to think about but the bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie will continue to haunt Libya until justice is done in its entirety.