Lockerbie: key figures call for UN to hold inquiry into atrocity

Published on Thursday 17 September 2009 22:05

ARCHBISHOP Desmond Tutu, the Private Eye editor Ian Hislop and former shadow Scottish secretary Sir Teddy Taylor have written to the United Nations calling for a public inquiry into the Lockerbie atrocity.

The letter to the UN General Assembly has also been signed by Jim Swire, who lost his daughter Flora on the Pan Am flight, and Professor Robert Black, one of the architects of the Scottish court that convicted Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi of the bombing.

Both Dr Swire and Prof Black believe Megrahi is innocent.

The letter, which has 19 names, sets out the areas that the investigation should cover, from the destruction of the plane to the trail at Kamp van Zeist.

The letter states: "In light of the abandonment of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi's second appeal against conviction for the bombing of Pan American flight 103 over Lockerbie with the loss of 270 people we, the undersigned, hereby formally submit that the General Assembly of the United Nations Organisation institute a full public inquiry.

"Now that Mr Megrahi has dropped his second appeal and been repatriated to Libya to spend what time is left to him with his family, one of the last best hopes that existed to establish the facts of this disputed and sorry event once and for all has evaporated."

The letter also calls for the inquiry to investigate allegations of tampering with material evidence, the withholding of evidence from the defence counsel and the harassment of potential witnesses.

Today, Megrahi's defence team will release documents that would have been used in the convicted bomber's appeal, had he not abandoned it.