Letter: Truth seeeking

It is absolutely right that Crown prosecutors and Dumfries and Galloway Police should have the chance to quiz former Libyan foreign minister Moussa Koussa over the events leading up to the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 (your report, 1 April).

One aspect of this matter though adds more fuel to the case for an international inquiry into the atrocity. In the many discussions at diplomatic and legal level over Megrahi's release on compassionate grounds, it appears that Moussa Koussa has spoken to both Foreign Office and Scottish office officials. In a sense there should be nothing surprising about this.

The release of a convicted mass murderer on whatever grounds needed a lot of physical and diplomatic preparation. The Libyan foreign minister obviously had a key role in this.

It is nevertheless an irony that, in new geo-political circumstances, with the Gaddafi regime tottering through defections, the same man is now considered to be a key figure in the run-up to the Pan Am 103 massacre.

The sooner full details of whatever discussions took place at civil service and diplomatic level prior to Megrahi's release the better. Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill has always been anxious to stress that he listened to all the available advice prior to setting the prisoner free.

The nature of that advice, and the discussions between Libyan, British and Scottish officials is now crucial in helping us get to the bottom of what went on. The politics of the Middle East and Libya has changed markedly in the past 15 months.

It makes it much more difficult to get the truth through any inquiry. But for the sake of the reputation of both Scottish and international justice that quest for truth must go on.

Bob Taylor

Shiel Court

Glenrothes, Fife