The truth must be fearlessly pursued

Published on Tuesday 4 October 2011 20:15

The trial of Amanda Knox in Perugia (your report, 4 October) had echoes of that of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi who, like Knox, suffered from national and racial stereotyping by the general public.

British tabloids have a tendency to suspect all Muslim men of being bombers while their Italian counterparts present West Coast American girls as drug-crazed sex maniacs.

The prosecutor, Giuliano Mignini, had form when it came to concocting weird scenarios, and his descriptions of satanic rituals were reminiscent of the scandalous Orkney trials.

The performance of the Italian forensic team was deplorable and on a par with that seen in the prosecutions of Detective Constable Shirley McKie and Megrahi. Yet Italy can be proud that its system is self-righting while our judiciary still struggles to admit culpability in the manifestly unsafe verdicts on McKie and Megrahi.

(Dr) John Cameron

Howard Place

St Andrews

When Kenny MacAskill released Megrahi early on compassionate grounds he ended his statement with the rather po-faced comment: “Mr Al Megrahi now faces a sentence imposed by a higher power.

“It is one that no court, in any jurisdiction, in any land, could revoke or overrule. It is terminal, final and irrevocable. He is going to die.”

Since two years on Megrahi is still alive this higher power appears to have also deferred Megrahi’s sentence, perhaps in order to send a message back to MacAskill and the Scottish Government.

Personally I have always thought that the real reason for the early release was a rational fear by the Scottish Government that when Megrahi eventually died in a Scottish prison, Colonel Muammar al-Gadaffi would take some form of reprisals against Scotland.

But as history has now shown, that would not have happened.

Neil Sinclair

Clarence Street

Edinburgh

Mr Megrahi promises us fresh new facts in the coming months that will add to his claim of innocence.

Could he perhaps be referring to publication of the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) report?

It’s ironic that while we lambast Westminster, Libya and the USA for not revealing all information in their possession we here in Scotland keep hidden the findings of a four-year independent investigation into the case.

It’s obvious to me that all our politicians and our own justice system lack the stomach to pursue the Lockerbie truth.

So it was therefore further disappointing to see our very own Scotsman newspaper appear to misquote Megrahi and suggest a “confession” had taken place, adding yet another untruth to the mountain of untruths.

David Flett

Cooperage Quay

Stirling