28/07/2010

US Senate Postpone Lockerbie Hearings

Senate hearings in the US investigating the release of the Lockerie bomber have been postponed amid accusations that BP and British officials are "stonewalling" the probe.

Senators had wanted to question a number of British politicians as well as senior executives from BP over allegations that the oil company had lobbied the government for the release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi in order to pave the way for an oil deal with Libya.

However, outgoing BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward had refused to attend, as did former UK Justice Secretary Jack Straw and Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.

BP had admitted that it had lobbied the government in 2007 over the potential negative impact on the UK's commercial interests caused by slow progress on a prisoner transfer agreement with Libya. However, the company denied that Megrahi was specifically discussed.

In 2001, Megrahi was convicted of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which exploded over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in December 1988, killing 270 people, most of whom were American.

In August last year, the Scottish Executive granted the release of Megrahi on compassionate ground as he was suffering from prostate cancer.

(KMcA)

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