‘I never saw shopkeeper’

The man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing protested his innocence again yesterday, saying he had “never seen” a Maltese shopkeeper whose identification was central to the conviction.

The Sliema shopkeeper, Tony Gauci, had identified Libyan Abdelbaset al Megrahi in court as having bought clothes from him, the fragments of which were found among the wreckage of the flight.

In what he declared was his final interview, Mr Megrahi said: “I never bought clothes from him. He dealt with me very wrongly. I have never seen him in my life before he came to court.”

The interview was published in several British newspapers, shortly after a memorial service marking the 23rd anniversary of the atrocity was held in the United States.

Two hundred and seventy people were killed when Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over the town of Lockerbie on December 21, 1988. Mr Megrahi was convicted of carrying out the bombing at a Scottish court sitting at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands in 2001 and sentenced to life imprisonment.

The connection with Malta and with Mr Al-Megrahi was made after Scottish police recovered items of baby clothing from the wreckage. They bore the label Yorkie, made by a Maltese company, and were in a suitcase believed to have been carrying the bomb. The clothing was subsequently traced to Mr Gauci’s Sliema shop.

The courts decided that the bomb left from Malta. Another theory, however, was that it had been placed on board a London-bound plane at Frankfurt airport before reaching the Pam Am jet that was bound for New York. Some believe Iran, and not Libya, was behind the bombing.

Mr Megrahi was released on compassionate grounds in 2009 after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

In the interview he said: “I am an innocent man. I am about to die and I ask now to be left in peace with my family.”

Meanwhile, Scotland’s Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland travelled to the US for the memorial and laid a wreath on behalf of the people of Scotland. He also made a speech in remembrance of the victims of the atrocity and met their relatives. Earlier this week, he met FBI director Robert Mueller and US attorney general Eric Holder to discuss the opportunities for stepping up the investigation in Libya into the bombing. He said: “I think I would be failing in my duty if I didn’t properly seek to take advantage of the opportunity that has opened up with the fall of Gaddafi.

“I am determined to get the answers these families deserve.”

Amin Khalifa Fhimah also stood trial with Mr Megrahi but was acquitted of any involvement.

Mr Mulholland said the idea that Mr Megrahi had acted alone was “risible”, and said “justice has only partly been done. The evidence pointed to it being an act of state-sponsored terrorism.”

Scottish police are expected to go to Libya next year as part of the ongoing investigation into the 1988 attack.

“Megrahi was a member of the Libyan security service – it is risible to think that he acted alone. What we want to do is bring the others to book.

“A huge opportunity has opened up. It was very difficult when Gaddafi was alive and in power in Libya, and the answers are in Libya.”

Last March, in the midst of the Libyan uprising, Muammar Gaddafi’s Justice Minister Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, who had just stepped down, was reported telling a Swedish tabloid he had proof the Libyan leader had personally ordered the Locker-bie bombing.

Mr Megrahi had reportedly warned Col Gaddafi he would “reveal everything” about the downing of the airliner unless he was rescued from the Scottish prison where he was being held.