Contact made with Al Megrahi following disappearance reports

Published on Wednesday 16 December 2009 11:37

THE Scottish council monitoring the Lockerbie bomber say contact has been re-established.

Concerns were raised after staff from East Renfrewshire Council failed to reach Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi at his home in Tripoli by phone yesterday.

The council, who contact the terminally ill Libyan every two weeks, tried to contact Al Megrahi yesterday following newspaper reports that he could not be reached at home or in hospital.

Today an East Renfrewshire Council spokesman confirmed that they were able to speak to him.

"We have now spoken to Mr Megrahi, who is in his house. There is no cause for alarm, he is in his house."

He added: "He wasn't able to speak to us yesterday but he was able to do so today. We have spoken to him and we don't have any concerns. He is definitely at home in Tripoli."

Earlier this year Megrahi, who has prostate cancer, was granted compassionate release from the life sentence he was serving in a Scottish jail.

Megrahi would have breached his licence conditions if he had changed his permanent address without informing the council.

The council spokesman said if staff had been unable to contact Megrahi today, they would have reported the situation to the Scottish Government.

Local authority staff are next due to speak to Megrahi next week.