Lockerbie, Double Jeopardy and Crown Office Spin?

Yesterday’s Scotland on Sunday ran a piece about the continuing Crown Office investigation into the Lockerbie bombing. I have some thoughts to offer on the article.

I should say that I am firmly in the camp, having read the judgements in the trial and the appeal, and having considered the evidence and arguments published as time has passed, including the concerns of the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, that Mr al-Megrahi was wrongfully convicted.

Extracts from the piece are below, with my comments in bold below the relevant sections:-

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PROSECUTORS investigating the Lockerbie bombing are examining evidence that could implicate Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah, the Libyan acquitted of the atrocity, documents obtained by Scotland on Sunday suggest.

The Crown Office has always maintained that Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, the Libyan agent convicted of the 1988 bombing, did not act alone. Last month, prosecutors requested new hearings to be held in private in Malta. Scotland on Sunday understands the basis of those hearings related to the actions of Megrahi, Fhimah and others in the Libyan intelligence services.

Fhimah, a former station manager for Libyan Arab Airlines, stood trial alongside Megrahi at Camp Zeist. He was acquitted in 2001 by the presiding judge, Lord Sutherland, and returned home to a hero’s welcome in Libya. He could face a new prosecution under double jeopardy legislation passed by the Scottish Government last year.

Where to start?

This case was described as the biggest criminal investigation in the history of the Scottish justice system. More time and more money have been spent upon it than on any other inquiry, and one suspects that, adjusted for inflation, it will never be beaten. One hopes there is never an incident in future justifying such expenditure for the police inquiry.

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Tom Watson MP Wants An Investigation into Tommy Sheridan Prosecution – Why?

The Firm Magazine reported on Monday that Tom Watson MP has raised further issues about the Tommy Sheridan trial. He is quoted as saying:-

“It’s now absolutely certain that the judgment is unsound and if Alex Salmond had a shred of decency he would use all the power he has to ensure that this is urgently dealt with.

There have been key revelations about the inadequacies of the original revelations and the methodology used by the executives working for Rupert Murdoch in the Sheridan case.

It’s certain the jury would have reached another verdict if in possession of all the facts and Alex Salmond has to ask the Crown Office to investigate how on earth this case was even brought and why it went to trial.”

As my long time reader will know, I wrote a lot about the Sheridan case last year on this blog, before it became “obsessed” about an SFL3 football team.