Lockerbie evidence that won’t be heard

The real scandal of the last week is that, in forcing Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi to drop his second appeal case, evidence regarding what really happened will not now be heard in court.

According to former CIA officer Robert Baer who was part of the initial investigation into the case, “Your [Scottish] justice secretary had two choices – sneak into Megrahi’s cell and smother him with his pillow or release him.

“The end game came down to damage limitation because the evidence amassed by his appeal team is explosive and extremely damning to the system of justice.”

Socialist Worker can reveal some of what was contained in the proposed 20 grounds of appeal:

• Details of a catalogue of evidence deliberately undisclosed at the original trial.
• Allegations of evidence tampering.
• Newly revealed memos from the US Defence Intelligence Agency that discount Libya’s involvement.
• A new witness, David Wright, who was on holiday in Malta and would have produced new evidence as to the buyer of clothes that were crucial to the original case, and the date they were bought.
• New witnesses showing that the fragment of disputed circuit board found near the crash could not have survived such an explosion. An independent forensic scientist also found no trace of explosive on the fragment.
• A Swiss businessman who would have given evidence that his company – which supplied the alleged bomb timer – did not just sell to the Libyan intelligence service, as was claimed, but to other security services.
• New evidence proving the impossibility of the bomb being transferred from Malta.