Lockerbie bomber should remain in Scots jail, says US

Published on Friday 4 April 2008 22:48

THE United States yesterday said it still supported an international agreement that requires the Lockerbie bomber to serve his sentence in Scotland.

There has been speculation that Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi could mount a legal challenge to serve the remainder of his sentence in Libya.

But Kurt Volker, the acting US assistant secretary of state, said it was important that the original arrangements were adhered to.

He said: "Those were part of the arrangements and it's important that they be followed through and that justice be served."

The UK government last year began negotiations over a prisoner transfer agreement with Libya.

However, Jack Straw, the Westminster Justice Secretary, insisted that no deal had been done over the transfer of the Lockerbie bomber. He said it would be for Scottish ministers to decide if Megrahi was returned to his home country.

Megrahi is serving a minimum of 27 years for the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie in 1988 in which 270 people were killed.