Senate eyes Scotland visit over Megrahi

Published on Friday 30 July 2010 00:51

A US Senate committee is ready to send members to the UK to question British witnesses on the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds

Robert Menendez, who is leading the US inquiry, revealed the plan after the likes of Scottish justice secretary Kenny MacAskill, First Minister Alex Salmond and former justice secretary Jack Straw turned down requests to attend a hearing of the Senate foreign affairs committee hearing in Washington.

Last night, Mr Salmond said he was happy to offer a visiting US senator "the courtesy" of a meeting.

But he said there was "no way on earth" that Scottish ministers would formally give evidence to a committee hearing of a foreign legislature, even if it is held in the UK.

Mr Menendez has been one of the most vocal US politicians calling for an inquiry into the decision to free Megrahi, who returned to a hero's welcome in Libya last year and has now long outlived the three months he was given to survive terminal cancer when he left Greenock Prison.

In a BBC interview last night Mr Menendez said: "In addition to making a request for them to come to hearings, we will be... having someone travel to Great Britain and Scotland to interview the individuals and ask questions and get a better understanding of how they came to their decisions."