A US state department official has said there is no evidence in government records that oil firm BP sought the early release of the Lockerbie bomber.
Nancy McEldowney was speaking to a senate committee examining claims of a link to an oil deal.
Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi was freed from a Scottish prison on compassionate grounds after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The Scottish government said the entire basis for the hearing had fallen away.
Angry reaction
When Megrahi was released in August 2009, it was estimated that he had only months to live, although he is still alive in Libya.
The decision to release him, taken by Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, sparked an angry reaction in the United States.
A total of 270 people, mainly US nationals, died in the 1988 atrocity and to date Megrahi is the only person to have been convicted.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
All of the evidence demonstrates that the justice secretary's decisions... were taken on judicial grounds alone”
End Quote Scottish government statement
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee aims to examine claims that BP played a part in securing Megrahi's release in a bid to safeguard an exploration deal with Libya.
The oil company and both the British and Scottish governments have denied this and will not be represented at the hearing in Washington.
Ms McEldowney, a principal deputy assistant secretary at the State Department, told the committee that a review of government records had "not identified any materials, beyond publicly available statements and correspondence, concerning attempts by BP or other companies to influence matters".
A Scottish government spokesperson responded to her evidence saying that it had given the senate the same message "in letter after letter, and in a meeting, for many months".
"All of the evidence demonstrates that the justice secretary's decisions... were taken on judicial grounds alone - and not political, economic, diplomatic or any other factors," the spokesperson said.
Senate committee chairman Robert Menendez also suggested that there had been confusion over whether or not Megrahi had received chemotherapy prior to release.
Megrahi had indicated, and Scottish medical records seemed to confirm, that he had not had chemotherapy, Mr Menendez said.
But the senator said evidence from an unnamed Scottish official suggested Megrahi had started chemotherapy in July 2009.
Mr Menendez said that the conflicting accounts suggested Scottish government documents had been changed.
In its statement, the Scottish government said it was a matter of public record that Megrahi was not on chemotherapy treatment in Scotland at any point.
In September 2010, ‘JFM’ made representations to the First Minister, Mr Alex Salmond MSP, in the hope that the Scottish Government would establish an inquiry into the affair under its auspices citing the following reasons:
• The event occurred over and on Scottish territory.
• The case was investigated by a Scottish police force.
• The trial was conducted under Scots Law.
• Mr Al-Megrahi was convicted under Scots Law.
• Mr Al-Megrahi was imprisoned in a Scottish gaol.
• The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission referred the
second appeal to the Scottish Court of Appeal.
• Mr Al-Megrahi was given compassionate release by the
Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Justice.
Unfortunately the First Minister rejected this appeal.
On 8th October 2010, the ‘Justice for Megrahi’ group led by Dr Jim Swire submitted the following petition to the Scottish Parliament.
Quote:
‘Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to open an independent inquiry into the 2001 Kamp van Zeist conviction of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi for the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 in December 1988.’
For over 20 years governments at home and abroad have lied and procrastinated each blaming the other and all putting self interest above all else. And still the truth behind the tragic deaths of 270 souls in Lockerbie on 21st December 1988 has never been revealed.
Lockerbie is a Scottish tragedy that occurred on Scottish soil. That our government has never seen fit to fight for the truth to be heard remains an indelible stain on our justice system.
If you wish our Scottish Government to carry out its own enquiry please add your name to the petition shown on the Scottish Parliament website. Signatures will be accepted until 28th October 2010.
If everyone on this forum does the same there should be loads of signatures. _________________ “Since when do we have to agree with people to defend them from injustice?”
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