Megrahi’s death bed ‘confession’

Published on Tuesday 4 October 2011 00:32

THE man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing has for the first time appeared to admit that he did play some role in Britain’s biggest mass murder.

After more than a decade protesting his innocence, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi said his role in the attack on Pan Am flight 103, which claimed 270 lives, had been “exaggerated”.

The Libyan, who was released from a Scottish jail on compassionate grounds more than two years ago, was interviewed by Reuters news agency at his home in Tripoli. Megrahi, who was in bed with oxygen containers beside him, said he had only a few months to live at best.

In his first public statement in more than two years, he indicated he knew more about the truth of the bombing when he said: “The facts will become clear one day, and hopefully in the near future. In a few months from now, you will see new facts that will be announced.”

The remarks were seized upon by politicians in Scotland who said the former Libyan intelligence agent’s comments showed he now “did not deny playing a part” in the 1988 attack.

Megrahi had previously described his conviction as a “miscarriage of justice” and described himself as an “innocent man”, in a series of outright denials.

Libya’s ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) is eager to distance itself from the atrocity and has said it will work with the Scottish Government over the possible involvement of others in the bombing.

Megrahi, who looked frail and whose breathing was laboured during the interview, broadcast yesterday, said Dr Jim Swire, the father of one of the victims and someone who has disputed the court’s guilty verdict, had maintained contact with him and even e-mailed him details of a cancer remission drug at the weekend.

He said: “The day before yesterday, Dr Swire sent me an e-mail to tell me that there is a new medicine. He is trying to help me. He told me how to get this medicine.”

Dr Swire, who described Megrahi as a “decent chap”, told The Scotsman he had e-mailed the convicted bomber information about Radium 223, a treatment tested in the UK and Scandinavia, in the hope the Libyan’s medical team could get the drug flown to the country.

In the interview, Megrahi attacked the proceedings of the trial, held in a Dutch court under Scots law, as a “farce” and branded prosecutors “liars”.

Wearing a checked shirt and with a white headdress wrapped loosely around his head, he went on to ask that he be left alone and said he had only have a few more “days, weeks or months” to live. He also said he was desperately short of medicine.

Megrahi suggested a series of fresh revelations about Lockerbie would emerge in the months ahead. He said his service as an intelligence agent during the rule of deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had been “administrative” and that he did not “harm anyone” during his time working for the regime.

He said: “The facts [about the Lockerbie bombing] will become clear one day, and hopefully in the near future. In a few months from now, you will see new facts that will be announced. The West exaggerated my name. Please leave me alone. I only have a few more days, weeks or months.”

“All my work was administrative. I never harmed Libyans. I didn’t harm anyone. I’ve never harmed anyone in my life.”

Robert Black, QC, a Professor of Scots Law at the University of Edinburgh, said on a blog that part of the interview with Megrahi had not been translated correctly and that the Arabic word used translates not as “exaggerate”, but as “invent, concoct, contrive, think up, manufacture, fabricate”. Reuters, however, stood by its translation.

Megrahi also claimed he was being denied medical treatment that he said had been stipulated in the deal that saw him returned from Scotland to Libya.

He said: “I was treated badly when I came back. During the latest incidents, especially in the last month, I have a shortage of all my medicines. My doctor tells me to look for medicine like anyone else, despite the agreement between us and Britain.

“I want to die in my house, among my family. I hope to God that I will see my country united, with no fighting or war. I hope the bloodshed will stop in Libya. I wish all the best for my country.”

Shadow justice minister Johann Lamont said Megrahi’s statement that “the West exaggerated my name” was an admission of some involvement in the attack, as the interview re-opened the controversy over the SNP government’s decision to release Megrahi on compassionate grounds in August 2009.

Ms Lamont insisted Megrahi “was guilty of playing a part in the bombing” and suggested he knew more than he claimed.

She said: “It is interesting to note that he did not deny playing a part in the destruction of Pan Am flight 103 but simply said his role had been exaggerated.

“He says he believes the truth about this whole affair will become clear in the near future. That is what all the relatives of the victims want to know. They want to know who was responsible for the death of their loved ones. The SNP government made a terrible mistake in allowing him out of jail two years ago. Although he was ill, he did not have to be returned to Libya.”

Dr Swire repeated his view that Megrahi had been “framed” and said that what were likely to be the Libyan’s final public comments showed he was a “decent chap” who had been in the “wrong place at the wrong time”.

He went on: “There’s nothing to suggest that he was linked to the attack and the evidence never held water..”

SNP MSP Christine Grahame said: “He was put up as a fall guy, who perhaps was expected to get off, but didn’t. He was put in a position that suited Libya and suited everybody.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Mr al-Megrahi is an extremely sick man, dying of terminal prostate cancer.

“As has always been the case, the Lockerbie atrocity remains an open investigation, given that al-Megrahi was convicted on the basis that he did not act alone.”

Related Articles

• If his role was exaggerated, exactly what did he know about bombing?

  THE notion that Mr Megrahi was a low-level official is not believable – we only have to look at the huge welcome back he was given by the Libyan regime two years ago with full honours.

  0 Comments

• With their backs to the sea, Gaddafi forces battle to cling on to that bit of Sirte yet to fall

  If THE Libyan fighters who advanced deep into Sirte yesterday had hoped to be greeted as liberating heroes, they were disappointed. All the residents had fled, leaving behind prized mementoes of their kinsman Muammar Gaddafi.

  0 Comments

Comments

There are 2 comments to this article

Order by:

• Newest first
• |
• Oldest first

Page 1 of 1

• 1
• Show all

2

goldberd20

Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at 08:51 AM

( Shadow justice minister Johann Lamont said Megrahi’s statement that “the West exaggerated my name” was an admission of some involvement in the attack, as the interview re-opened the controversy over the SNP government’s decision to release Megrahi on compassionate grounds in August 2009. ) (said Megrahi’s statement that “the West exaggerated my name” was an admission of some involvement in the attack) For a justice minister he doesn't quite well or unless the west is paying that justice minister well. I fairly dont believe that Megrahi’s statement that “the West exaggerated my name” was an admission of some involvement in the attack. Thats not an admission of some involvement lets see it again here. (“The facts [about the Lockerbie bombing] will become clear one day, and hopefully in the near future. In a few months from now, you will see new facts that will be announced. The West exaggerated my name. Please leave me alone. I only have a few more days, weeks or months.” “All my work was administrative. I never harmed Libyans. I didn’t harm anyone. I’ve never harmed anyone in my life.”) And now see how quickly the western so called experts are in picnic mode and trying to correct on what Megrahi said? (Robert Black, QC, a Professor of Scots Law at the University of Edinburgh, said on a blog that part of the interview with Megrahi had not been translated correctly and that the Arabic word used translates not as “exaggerate”, but as “invent, concoct, contrive, think up, manufacture, fabricate”. Reuters, however, stood by its translation.) Really Robert? had not been translated correctly? i think personally it has been translated just fine and i would i agree on with Reuters that its translation part. But if Robert Black, QC, a Professor of Scots Law at the University of Edinburgh, believes that the translation part has been fabricated why doesn't he just back it up then with proof.

• Report Unsuitable

1

Cynicus

Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at 12:28 AM

Suddenly, 7 months after the story, comments are enabled here. Of course, most readers won't get beyond the headline. Is that the intention?

• Report Unsuitable

Order by:

• Newest first
• |
• Oldest first

Page 1 of 1

• 1
• Show all

Logged in as:

Comment here. Start typing your comment here:

Post comment

Please adhere to our Community guidelines

Your view

Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.