Support for doctor who said al-Megrahi was close to death
The senators are probing the circumstances surrounding the release in August last year of al-Megrahi, convicted of the 1988 bombing of an airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland.
Al-Megrahi is still alive a year after Scottish authorities freed him on compassionate grounds. A medical report compiled by Andrew Fraser, the Scottish Prison Service’s director of health and care, said he had terminal prostate cancer and could die in three months.
Fraser was “a professional of unimpeachable integrity” who consulted a range of experts before reaching his prognosis, a Scottish government spokeswoman said yesterday.
Al-Megrahi’s continued survival has sustained the controversy over the decision. Most of the 270 people killed in the bombing were Americans, and al-Megrahi’s release and triumphant homecoming in Libya provoked an outcry in the United States.
US anger resurfaced recently after suggestions British energy giant BP had lobbied Scotland for al-Megrahi’s release. BP and Scottish ministers have denied the accusations.
“Dr Fraser drew on expert advice from a number of cancer specialists in coming to his clinical assessment that a three month prognosis was a reasonable estimate for Mr al-Megrahi – it was not based on the opinion of any one doctor,” the Scottish government spokeswoman said.
“These specialists included two consultant oncologists, two consultant urologists and a number of other specialists, including a palliative care team, and Mr al-Megrahi’s primary care physician.”
Four senators wrote to Scottish First Secretary Alex Salmond on Tuesday asking the government to provide “full medical information” or to request al-Megrahi’s permission to release the information, if that was necessary.
They referred to recent news reports that suggested the three-month prognosis was based on the opinion of a single doctor.
