Medical advice on Megrahi release 'quite clear', Kenny MacAskill insists

Published on Tuesday 1 December 2009 13:22

SCOTTISH Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill insisted today that the medical advice he acted on before releasing the Lockerbie bomber was "quite clear".

• Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi at a hospital in Tripoli in September

Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi was freed on compassionate grounds in August on the expectation that he had three months to live. This period has now passed.

Mr MacAskill was appearing before the Scottish Parliament's Justice Committee today as part of its inquiry into the Scottish Government's handling of Megrahi's release.

Referring to the three-month prognosis, committee convenor Bill Aitken told Mr MacAskill: "We're beyond that now. What we need is supporting evidence that, in all circumstances, it was appropriate to assume that this three-month prognosis was accurate."

Mr MacAskill said he acted on the basis of a medical report provided to him by Dr Andrew Fraser, the director of health and social care at the Scottish Prison Service.

He said: "In the report it was quite clear, and this is not an exact science, but the prognosis was that Mr Al Megrahi fell within the three-month timescale.

"Thereafter it was concluded that he did qualify for the terms of compassionate release."

Mr MacAskill released Megrahi on August 20, and within hours the man convicted of killing 270 people in the Pan Am plane bombing was on his way home to Libya and a hero's reception.

The decision was greeted with anger by American relatives, and made Mr MacAskill and the Scottish Government the focus of international controversy.

He told MSPs that 26 applications before Scottish justice ministers for compassionate release, which met the criteria, have all been granted.

Mr Aitken said it was not clear if an "unanimity of view" existed among all the doctors who treated Megrahi.

"Was there a firm consensus that this three-month prognosis was accurate?" he asked.

But Mr MacAskill insisted Dr Fraser's report was clear that, after the "deterioration" of Megrahi's condition, a three-month prognosis was accurate.

The Justice Secretary added: "That was his advice and that was the advice I took."