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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Lockerbie bombing: Lord Advocate reaffirms Megrahi's guilt | Lockerbie bombing: Lord Advocate reaffirms Megrahi's guilt |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Scotland's top prosecutor has reaffirmed his belief that Abdelbaset al-Megrahi is guilty of killing 270 people in the Lockerbie bombing. | Scotland's top prosecutor has reaffirmed his belief that Abdelbaset al-Megrahi is guilty of killing 270 people in the Lockerbie bombing. |
| Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland said no Crown Office investigator or prosecutor had ever raised a concern about the evidence used to convict Megrahi. | Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland said no Crown Office investigator or prosecutor had ever raised a concern about the evidence used to convict Megrahi. |
| He also pledged to continue tracking down Megrahi's accomplices. | He also pledged to continue tracking down Megrahi's accomplices. |
| Megrahi's part in the bombing has been called into question in a series of books and documentaries. | Megrahi's part in the bombing has been called into question in a series of books and documentaries. |
| And a petition seeking "Justice For Megrahi", backed by politicians and family members of some victims, remains on the Scottish Parliament's books two years after his death. | And a petition seeking "Justice For Megrahi", backed by politicians and family members of some victims, remains on the Scottish Parliament's books two years after his death. |
| 'Sole aim' | 'Sole aim' |
| Supporters of Megrahi, who was said by the FBI to have been a Libyan intelligence officer, have claimed that Scottish prosecutors ignored evidence that the bomb was put on board the flight at Heathrow rather than in Malta. | Supporters of Megrahi, who was said by the FBI to have been a Libyan intelligence officer, have claimed that Scottish prosecutors ignored evidence that the bomb was put on board the flight at Heathrow rather than in Malta. |
| They have also alleged Libya was "framed" over the bombing, and that a fragment of the bomb's timer was either planted or manipulated to implicate Libya. | They have also alleged Libya was "framed" over the bombing, and that a fragment of the bomb's timer was either planted or manipulated to implicate Libya. |
| But speaking as he travelled to Washington to attend a memorial service at Arlington cemetery in Washington on Sunday, Mr Mulholland said his ongoing investigation into the bombing was focused on the evidence, and not on "speculation and supposition". | But speaking as he travelled to Washington to attend a memorial service at Arlington cemetery in Washington on Sunday, Mr Mulholland said his ongoing investigation into the bombing was focused on the evidence, and not on "speculation and supposition". |
| Mr Mulholland said: "During the 26-year long inquiry not one Crown Office investigator or prosecutor has raised a concern about the evidence in this case. | Mr Mulholland said: "During the 26-year long inquiry not one Crown Office investigator or prosecutor has raised a concern about the evidence in this case. |
| "We remain committed to this investigation and our focus remains on the evidence, and not on speculation and supposition. | "We remain committed to this investigation and our focus remains on the evidence, and not on speculation and supposition. |
| "Our prosecutors and police officers, working with UK government and US colleagues, will continue to pursue this investigation, with the sole aim of bringing to justice those who acted along with al-Megrahi." | "Our prosecutors and police officers, working with UK government and US colleagues, will continue to pursue this investigation, with the sole aim of bringing to justice those who acted along with al-Megrahi." |
| But Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora died in the bombing, said he continued to believe that Megrahi was innocent. | But Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora died in the bombing, said he continued to believe that Megrahi was innocent. |
| 'Superficial comments' | |
| He said: "How was it that the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Committee spent three years looking at the case and came up with six pieces of evidence to challenge Mr Megrahi's conviction? | He said: "How was it that the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Committee spent three years looking at the case and came up with six pieces of evidence to challenge Mr Megrahi's conviction? |
| "I think you have to look further than the superficial comments made by the Lord Advocate." | "I think you have to look further than the superficial comments made by the Lord Advocate." |
| He said he believed that evidence was "clearly designed in order to mislead the court" and pointed the finger towards the CIA. | He said he believed that evidence was "clearly designed in order to mislead the court" and pointed the finger towards the CIA. |
| Mr Swire said recent revelations about the agency's complicity in torture following the 9/11 terrorist attacks showed the CIA "has little respect for the requirements of the law of their own country." | Mr Swire said recent revelations about the agency's complicity in torture following the 9/11 terrorist attacks showed the CIA "has little respect for the requirements of the law of their own country." |
| Megrahi was convicted of carrying out the bombing in January 2001, but co-accused Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah was acquitted. | Megrahi was convicted of carrying out the bombing in January 2001, but co-accused Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah was acquitted. |
| Fhimah was Libyan Arab Airline's station manager at Luqa Airport in Malta, where the two men were alleged to have loaded the bomb aboard an Air Malta flight to Frankfurt before it was transferred to a feeder flight for Pan Am 103. | Fhimah was Libyan Arab Airline's station manager at Luqa Airport in Malta, where the two men were alleged to have loaded the bomb aboard an Air Malta flight to Frankfurt before it was transferred to a feeder flight for Pan Am 103. |
| The Pan Am flight exploded at 31,000ft over Lockerbie, in the south of Scotland, on 21 December 1988. | The Pan Am flight exploded at 31,000ft over Lockerbie, in the south of Scotland, on 21 December 1988. |
| As well as 259 people on board the aircraft, 11 residents of Lockerbie died on the ground as a result of a giant fireball caused when a wing holding thousands of gallons of fuel exploded on impact. | As well as 259 people on board the aircraft, 11 residents of Lockerbie died on the ground as a result of a giant fireball caused when a wing holding thousands of gallons of fuel exploded on impact. |
| The Scottish government released Megrahi on compassionate grounds in August 2009 after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. | The Scottish government released Megrahi on compassionate grounds in August 2009 after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. |
| He returned to Libya, where he died in May 2012, still protesting his innocence. | He returned to Libya, where he died in May 2012, still protesting his innocence. |