Note that Lord Hamilton is to preside for the appeal (HERALD)

Note that Lord Hamilton is to preside for the appeal (HERALD). Also Bollier is making new allegations again — namely that the CIA tried to bribe him to perjure himself (see HERALD comments).

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Guardian

Fresh doubts on Lockerbie conviction

Severin Carrell, Scotland correspondent
Wednesday October 3, 2007
The Guardian

The key prosecution witness in the Lockerbie bombing trial was allegedly offered a $2m reward in return for giving evidence, raising fresh doubts about the safety of the case.

Lawyers for Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, the Libyan convicted of murdering 270 people on board Pan Am Flight 103, have evidence that detectives investigating the bombing recommended that Tony Gauci, a shopkeeper from Malta, be given the payment after the case ended.

Mr Gauci's testimony at the trial was crucial to al-Megrahi's conviction. He told the trial at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands that the Libyan had bought clothes at his shop which the prosecution claimed were packed into the suitcase bomb that exploded over Lockerbie on December 21 1988.

The defence team believe Mr Gauci may have received a larger sum from the US authorities. His role in the case is to be central to al-Megrahi's appeal against his conviction, which the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission said was unsafe.

They are to press for full disclosure of these payments, and the release of a potentially vital US document which is thought to cast doubt on official accounts about the timer allegedly used in the bombing, at an appeal hearing next week.

The secret document is believed to dispute prosecution claims that al-Megrahi used a digital timer bought from a Swiss company, Mebo, and then planted the bomb on a flight from Malta to Germany - a disclosure which would fatally undermine his conviction.

The (Glasgow) Herald

More pressure on Crown over Lockerbie bomb timer

LUCY ADAMS and KEVIN SCHOFIELD

The Crown Office was under increasing pressure last night to make a statement on claims that the prosecution in the Lockerbie trial withheld vital information from Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi's defence team.

Politicians said it was vital that the Lord Advocate, Elish Angiolini, explain to parliament why the report on the timer which allegedly detonated the bomb over the town has still not been disclosed.

The Herald revealed earlier this week that the existence of the report was one of the reasons why the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission had ruled that Megrahi's appeal against conviction should be heard.

Calls for Ms Angiolini to make a statement came as it emerged that Lord Hamilton, the Lord President and Scotland's most senior judge, will chair the Lockerbie appeal.

Tam Dalyell, the former Father of the House of Commons and a long-standing Lockerbie campaigner, yesterday said the prosecution's failure to pass on its report to the defence team "threatens the good name of Scottish justice internationally". He said: "The Crown has to be challenged on this because fundamental issues seem to be at stake. It looks as if the Crown has simply not fulfilled what any layman like me would suppose was its obligation to the court."

Alex Neil, the SNP MSP, said it was essential that the Crown Office explains its position.

He said: "I believe the Crown Office has a responsibility to answer these allegations. They cannot wait until next year when the appeal may be held. This has to be clarified now by the Lord Advocate."

Bill Aitken, the Scottish Conservatives' justice spokes-man, said that while he doubted Megrahi's innocence, the allegations needed to be investigated.

He said: "Clearly, if these allegations were to be true, they would impact upon the appeal. But of course, the waters are becoming very muddied."

Last month a review on disclosure commissioned by the previous Scottish Executive said prosecutors should be legally bound to provide full information to defence lawyers in advance of a trial.

Lord Coulsfield, who chaired the review, was also one of three judges who presided at the Lockerbie trial in the Netherlands.

He called for legislation requiring the prosecution to have regard to "the over-riding requirement of a fair trial".

Pauline McNeill, Labour's Shadow Justice Secretary, agreed that the system must be clarified. "I'm concerned about the number of cases where disclosure is becoming an issue, which suggests work needs to be done. Whether it's legislation that's required, or a clearer framework, we need to give the Crown more guidance," she said.

A spokesman for the Crown Office said it would be "inappropriate" to comment on the Lockerbie case while Megrahi's appeal is still to be heard.

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Posted by: Edwin & Mahnaz Bollier, MEBO Lid, Zurich/Switzerland on 2:27am today

Edwin Bollier VR, MEBO Ltd

Also the key witness Edwin Bollier was allegedly offered 1991 a new personality and up to USD 4m reward in return for giving a wrong statement that the MST-13 timerfragment descends from a MST-13 timer supplied to Libya, but Bollier had rejected the offer.

Witness at Kamp van Zeist 2000.

Edwin Bollier first a witness during the "Lockerbie-Case" now with international legal support from Switzerland, will bring a charge against official ones on the "Lockerbie investigation Team" because of deliberate manipulation of the central proof MST-13 timer fragment. Please visit The "Lockerbie-Fraud" on our webpage:

www.lockerbie.ch

Mr. Abdelbaset al Megrahi and Libya have nothing todo with the Lockerbie-Tragedy!