Holyrood to write to UK and US over prisoner transfers

Published on Tuesday 3 November 2009 21:09

A HOLYROOD committee has agreed to write to the US and UK governments as part of its inquiry into the release of the Lockerbie bomber.

The justice committee will request information from London and Washington about both governments' understanding of a prisoner-transfer agreement between Libya and the UK signed by Tony Blair.

Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill rejected the transfer of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, who has terminal cancer, to Libya and released him on compassionate grounds.

Committee convener Bill Aitken said that writing to the US and UK governments about the agreement was consistent with the committee's inquiry remit.

"Whether or not anything might come out of that which would be of any particular value remains to be seen, but my view would be that we should at least try," Mr Aitken said.

Nationalist committee member Nigel Don said Mr MacAskill did not seem to be clear about the understanding between the US the UK concerning the prisoner-transfer agreement. He called for the committee to write to Washington on the issue.

Lib Dem Robert Brown said the issue was dealt with under international treaties, and Labour's Cathy Craigie questioned whether this issue had "any bearing" on the justice secretary's decision to release Megrahi on compassionate grounds.

But the SNP's Stewart Maxwell said the committee's remit covered both prisoner transfer as well as Megrahi's release on compassionate grounds.

Mr MacAskill will appear before the inquiry and evidence will be taken from others who contributed to the advice on which his decision was based.

The committee cannot consider whether Mr MacAskill was right to conclude that compassionate release was justified.