Lockerbie Bomber To Be Freed – What A Joke
December 21, 1988 saw Pan Am Flight 103 from Heathrow to New York explode over Lockerbie, killing all 259 people on board and 11 people in the town.
The former Libyan secret service agent Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi was finally found guilty of mass murder and jailed for life in 2001. Some 13 years after the bombing.
Now this is where the joke starts – Al Megrahi was given a life sentence which under Scots law does NOT mean he will serve life.
His tariff was 27 years. That equates to roughly 36 days in prison for every life he took. In my eyes that sentence is a criminal offense in itself. I’d have personally given the judges jailtime for handing out such a lenient sentence. 27 year for every man, woman and child would be far more fitting in my eyes.
The court case and numerous appeals that have followed his trial and conviction have been closely followed by the Scottish media. Being a native Scot and remembering watching the breaking news story as this tragedy unfolded I have followed this story with some interest over the years.
It has been argued on many fronts Al Megrahi was a ‘fall guy’. His co-accused, Al Amin Khalifa Fhima, was freed without charge, later to be seen hugging the Libyan President.
Although Al Megrahi was convicted as a co-conspirator no one else has been brought to trial. No other names have been put forward. He has so far been the only man jailed – not that anyone else is ever likely to be arrested let alone tried now.
The story turns to farce when last year it was revealed that Al Megrahi had terminal prostate cancer and asked the Scottish Government to be released on compassionate grounds.
Separately, the Libyan government applied in May to have al-Megrahi repatriated under a prison transfer agreement it has with Britain.
Astonishingly, the Scottish powers that be are giving both requests serious consideration.
Is it any wonder at the turn of the year I will be boarding a plane and waving goodbye to this country for ever?
Posted on August 14, 2009 | Filed Under Life
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