Cancer doctor calls for quick decision to be made on Al Megrahi

Professor Karol Sikora, who visited Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi in prison, said the Libyan had an "aggressive" form of prostate cancer which was no longer responding to treatment.

"We believe he has only a very short period of time to live," said Prof Sikora, who assessed Megrahi last month.

His call came as US pressure mounted on the Scottish Government to keep Megrahi behind bars in Greenock prison.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said it was "absolutely wrong" to release him.

She said: "We are still encouraging the Scottish authorities not to do so and we hope that they will not."

Prof Sikora, medical director of the independent cancer care network CancerPartnersUK, said he was asked by the Libyan government to provide an independent medical assessment of Megrahi.

He visited him on July 28 with Professor Ibrahim Sherif from the Tripoli medical centre, Libya and Dr Abdulrahman Swessi, Libya's consul general in Scotland.

"We were shown great courtesy by the prison staff and especially the prison doctor with whom we discussed medical details and reviewed records," he said.

"Despite rumours in the media to the contrary, Mr Al Megrahi has an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread widely.

"Although he initially responded to treatment, this is no longer working. We believe he has only a very short period of time to live."

The professor went on: "We found him to be a highly intelligent, well-educated and deeply religious person who wishes to spend his last few weeks with his wife and five children.

"We believe an urgent decision on his future is needed before any further medical deterioration takes place."

Megrahi successfully dropped his appeal against conviction yesterday amid mounting speculation he could be moved to Libya within days on compassionate grounds.

Mrs Clinton has already called the Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill to say Megrahi should serve out his sentence in Scotland, and repeated that view yesterday.

After the bomber's appeal hearing, she told US reporters: "I just think it is absolutely wrong to release someone who has been imprisoned based on the evidence about his involvement in such a horrendous crime."

Three appeal judges in Edinburgh heard Megrahi's condition had worsened "very considerably" in recent days.

Defence QC Margaret Scott said: "Up-to-date medical reports from three eminent experts also concurred in the view that he has a very aggressive cancer, that his condition is grave and that the prognosis is extremely limited."

Mr MacAskill is deciding whether Megrahi, convicted in 2001 of the 1988 airliner bombing which killed 270, should return to Libya – either as a serving prisoner under a prisoner transfer agreement, or as a free man granted compassionate early release.

Mr MacAskill cannot agree to return him to Libya under a prisoner transfer treaty if any legal proceedings are outstanding.

Yesterday's ruling removes some red tape although a Crown appeal against Megrahi's sentence is still outstanding.

Scotland's Finance Secretary John Swinney said Mr MacAskill had listened to a range of representations, on both the prisoner transfer and compassionate early release applications.

"He's gone to very significant lengths to listen to the families of those who lost loved ones in the atrocity, he's listened to the views of the various governments involved," said Mr Swinney.

Chancellor Alistair Darling, standing in for the Prime Minister while Mr Brown is on holiday, said it was a decision for the Scottish Government.

Speaking at a visit to the Natural History Museum in London, Mr Darling said: "That's a decision that can only be reached by the Scottish Justice Secretary and the Scottish Government.

"There are legal procedures that they have got to follow through.

"They will be making their announcement soon, but that is a decision purely and simply for the Scottish Justice Secretary."