UK trying to thwart bomber appeal: Swire

Published on Wednesday 22 April 2009 00:51

THE father of a British woman killed in the Lockerbie bombing has accused the UK of trying to encourage the Libyan "bomber" to abort an appeal against his conviction, it was reported last night.

Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora died in the 1988 outrage, claimed the government was seek-ing to hasten a prisoner transfer agreement (PTA) with Libya which could allow Abdel Basset al-Megrahi to return home from Scotland if he drops his appeal.

He was given a life sentence in 2001 for bombing the Pan Am jet as it flew from London to New York on 18 December, 1988, killing all 259 people on board.

His lawyers have said they hoped to open a second appeal against conviction on April 28.

Mr Swire accused Justice Secretary Jack Straw of going to "extraordinary" lengths to ensure the PTA is ratified before the appeal starts in a bid to ensure it is dropped. But last night, a Justice Ministry spokesman said: "There is no date set for ratification."