Sunday 17 September 2017

Megrahi’s family fear appeal will fail

[This is part of the headline over a report by Marcello Mega in the Scottish edition of The Sunday Times today. It reads in part:]

The son of the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing has accused relatives of American citizens who died in the attack of closing their minds to fresh evidence about the atrocity.

Ali Megrahi, 25, spent some of his childhood in Scotland where his father, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, was jailed.

He fears there is little appetite in the US and UK to continue to investigate the December 1988 attack.

Relatives of the only man convicted of the bombing have launched a fresh attempt to clear his name. Aamer Anwar, the solicitor representing the Megrahi family, has submitted papers to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) in the hope that it will lead to the case being referred to the appeal court.

Megrahi is especially angry with US relatives of the 270 dead, saying they would not open their minds to the evidence he believes clears his father. He points to scientific tests carried out on a timer fragment linked to the bomb, which the trial judges said proved Libyan involvement.

He says these have shown the metallurgical composition of the fragment was not the same as the tin/lead alloy of the timers sold to Libya by the Swiss company Mebo, casting doubt on the safety of his father’s conviction.

But Susan Cohen, from New Jersey, who lost her 20-year-old daughter Theodora in the bombing, said: “Talk of planted evidence and cover-ups is fake news. I put it on the same level as the guy who said the Clintons were running a sex abuse ring in Washington.

“The doubters insist Libya was framed, but where is their evidence? I saw the evidence that convicted Megrahi in court.”

Adelbaset al-Megrahi died of cancer on May 20, 2012, 33 months after his release from a life sentence on compassionate grounds. The SCCRC had referred the case back for a second appeal, citing six grounds that could each constitute a miscarriage of justice, but Megrahi abandoned the appeal in the belief that this would secure his release from prison in Scotland.

When later asked to refer it back again by Anwar, acting on behalf of the Megrahi family and UK victims who doubted Megrahi’s guilt, the SCCRC declined in the absence of a signed mandate from the family, because of conflict in Libya. Late last year Megrahi’s family managed to leave war-torn Libya to meet Anwar in Switzerland to sign papers instructing him, making it clear that they support an appeal.

But his younger son now fears the commission and the Scottish courts will try to avoid the potential embarrassment of tackling the fresh evidence.

He said: “Scotland must show that it has courage and is not a lapdog for the Americans who don’t want to know the truth.

“The new evidence proves my father’s innocence, but the Americans close their eyes and ears.

“My family feels for the victims and their families, but we were also victims of Lockerbie. Soon, everyone will know that my father is innocent. If the court does not grant another appeal, we have to find a way. The evidence never dies.”

Robert Black, emeritus professor of Scots Law at Edinburgh university and the architect of the Lockerbie trial held in the Netherlands with three Scottish judges and no jury, also has concerns.

Black, who was educated at Lockerbie Academy, said: “The SCCRC did not appear keen to open this up again and found a way, after seeking guidance from the courts, to justify refusal.

“Now there is no doubt Megrahi’s family is involved, there is still a danger they might seek advice from the Scottish courts, and that advice might be that it is no longer in the public interest to reopen the investigation. I fear that could kill the search for justice stone dead.” [RB: While I fear that the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission may reject the current application on the “interests of justice” limb of the test they have to apply -- they can scarcely do so on the “miscarriage of justice” branch of the test, having regard to the prior SCCRC history of the case and the new evidence -- I remain confident and relatively optimistic about the Police Scotland Operation Sandwood investigation.]

The Crown Office said: “It would be inappropriate to comment on the application to the SCCRC, which has not been shared with the crown, while it is being considered.”

4 comments:

  1. I also have serious concerns about this, but from a different angle. There are two completely separate issues here, firstly the appeal as recognition of a miscarriage of justice and secondly as establishing the truth about what happened at Lockerbie, or as close to that truth as possible after so may years of confusion, much if it deliberate.

    My guess is that the Crown Office will hold out as long as possible to frustrate an appeal, but if and when it becomes inevitable will simply concede it on purely technical grounds, e.g. acknowledging that non-disclosure took place, as a result of which the Appeal Court will simply make a formal finding and close down any further discussion.

    As an aside, it would be interesting to make a list of those judges who would not be able to sit on an Appeal. It would presumably have to include at least the various parties who were rewarded for past services on the case.

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  2. In Mein Kampf, the author recommends that if one is going to lie and get away with it, the lie ought to be so colossal that nobody would believe that anyone would have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. The Big Lie in this instance came in January 2001 at Kamp van Zeist.

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  3. Breaking NEWS: Doc. nr. 5011300.rtf > No concern, fortunately there is Operation SANDWOOD, these investigative officers are serious and can not afford to make a "encore Corner", as the court in Switzerland, by obliteration statutory limitation a granted criminal investigation to terminate.
    The Scottish officials would be punishable themselves, because of aid to cover crime in a particularly large criminal case. MEBO and his CREW guarantee this..

    DOSSIER LOCKERBIE. 2017, at the moment only in German language, translation in English in work ...
    Edwin Bollier/MEBO Ltd, ist heute absolut davon überzeugt, dass Scottish Police, durch (Operation SANDWOOD) - nicht nur einen (1) Beweisbetrug, sondern wie heute bekannt, mindestens ein zweiter (2) Beweisbetrug im 'Lockerbie Case', mit zwei MST13 Timer Circuit Boards, beide bezeichnet als (PT35) - bestätigen muss!

    Rechtswidrig: bereits während des "Lockerbie/PanAm103" Gerichtverfahrens 2000/01, existierten zwei (2) geheim gehaltene Polizeidokumente, von 'BKA' & 'FBI', welche dem Gerichtsverfahren unterschlagen wurden, offenbar um die Anklage gegen Libyen & Al-Megrahi nicht zu entlasten !

    1.) 1 Dok. (ST33-EG, PanAm, Nr.068 507/88), vom BundesKriminalAmt (BKA) Deutschland.
    Durch dieses (BKA) Dokument - auf Seite (2) 000164, vom 14. Mai 1990, wurde aufgedeckt - dass der "Scottish Detective Chief Inspector, Gordon Ross Ferrie (möglicher "Whistleblower") - 10 Jahre vor dem Lockerbie Prozess in Kamp van Zeist, dem BKA bekundete:
    "Dass das in Frage stehende *Platinebruch-stück im Januar 1990, in der Manschette des "Slalom-Hemdes" gefunden wurde"! *(gemeint war das MST13 Timer Circuit Board PT35)"! (Bild 1)
    Dadurch ist auch geklärt, dass das MST13 Timerfragment (PT35) - nicht am 12. Mai 1989, bei RARDE, in einem Slalom Shirt, entdeckt wurde - wie auf einer gefälschten Zusatzseite Nr.51, im RRARDE Report 181, von offiziellen Zeugen, unter Eid "vorgetäuscht" wurde !
    (Weitere fake Beweisunterlagen in Verbindung mit Seite 51, sind das überschriebene Polizei Label Nr.168, refers to (PI'995) und das Memorandum an DI William Williamson von Expert Allen Feraday (RARDE) vom 15.8.1989, etc..
    2.) 1 FBI Investigation Report Nr. 262-23, Forensic Laboratory, of
    August 20, 1990 (FBI SECRET CLASSIFY BY 6578, DECLASSIFY ON 'OADR'):

    Das FBI-forensic Laboratory in Washington, wurde 1990, von Scotish Offiziellen, mit einem FAKE (MST13) Timer Fragment PT35 (Bild 2) vorsätzlich getäuscht, zum Schaden von Libya, Abdelbaset Al Megrahi und Edwin Bollier /MEBO Ltd.

    Anfang Juni 1990, besuchten unter Leitung von SIO Chief Superintendent Stuart Henderson, begleitet von Experte Allen Feraday (RARDE) und Mr MacLean, das FBI Labor in Washington.
    Nach einem Meeting mit FBI-Experte Tom Thurman, wurde von den Scots, ein mitgebrachtes MST13 Timerfragment (PT35) zum forensichen Vergleichs- Test, dem FBI Labor, übergeben.
    continue below

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  4. continue > DOSSIER LOCKERBIE. 2017:

    Bei diesem Besuch, wurde das FBI durch die Scots, getäuscht, weil nicht das erste im "Slalom Shirt", aufgefundene, ("black carbonized") MST13 Timerfragment (PT35) zum forensischen *Vergleich übergeben wurde, sondern ein zweites FAKE-Fragment, "green coloured", erstellt aus einer MST13 Timer Platine, welche auch bei den nach Libyen gelieferten Timer, verwendet wurde! *(TOGO Timer, D1, war von Libyen)!
    SIO Chief Henderson und seine Crew, gaben (laut FBI Report) folgende Erklärung ab:
    "On January 22, 1990, forensic Scientist at RARDE advised that they had discovered, trapped in the Slalom shirt, production number PI 995, several fragments of black plastics, consistent with the case of the Toshiba radio, a fragment of green circuit board (PT35)". Photo Nr.3 & Nr.4.

    Die forensischen Vergleichs-Daten, wurden im lange geheim gehaltenen FBI-investigations Report nr. 262-23, of 20/08/1990, registriert.
    Daraus wurde bekannt, dass das FAKE Fragment (PT35) mit einem, nach Libyen gelieferten MST13 Timer - (bezeichnet als TOGO Timer, D1) - im FBI Labratory in Washington, forensisch verglichen wurde.
    Der zur Verfügung stehende MST13 Timer, wurde von CIA 1986, in TOGO in Besitz genommen und später dem FBI in Washington übergeben.
    Der Vergleich mit dem MST13 Timefragment, sollte den Beweis erbringen - ob das Fragment (PT35) von einem nach Libyen gelieferten MST13 Timer abstammt - was durch den FBI Report, rechtens als positiv bestätigt wurde.

    Das Ergebnis kann im FBI-investigation Report nr. 262-23 of 20th, August 1990, nachgelesen werden.
    Auszug:
    > Personnel from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Explosives Unit discovered asimilarity between the circuit board fragment (PT 35) and a printed circuit board, which is a component part of an electronic timer recovered In Africa in September, 1986 (now referred as "TOGO-timer, specimen K-l).
    On June 22, 1990, a side by side comparison of specimen (K-l) and (PT35) resulted in a positive identification of (PT35) as being similar to spaciman (K-l). In essence, it has been determined that the (PT35) circuit board fragment originated from a circuit board that was like or identical to specimen (K-l)circuit board, Specimen (K-1) is described as part of a digital, battery operated, long delay timer <.
    In einem, für die "Operation SANDWOOD", neu erstellten MEBO Report, eröffnet Edwin Bollier/MEBO Ltd, den mehrfachen Beweis Betrug, mit dem FAKE Fragment (PT35) von A-Z auf - durch eine bewiesene, technisch/forensische Sachlage.

    by Edwin Bollier, MEBO Ltd, Telecommunication Switzerland. Webpage: www.lockerbie.ch







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