US service marks anniversary of Lockerbie bomb atrocity

The 270 people who lost their lives in the Lockerbie bombing 26 years ago were remembered at a memorial service in the US yesterday.

Scottish law officers were among those at the service at Arlington cemetery in Washington to mark the anniversary of the 1988 atrocity.

Leading the delegation was Scotland’s top prosecutor, Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland. He has reaffirmed his belief in the guilt of the only man convicted of the bombing, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, and vowed to track down his accomplices.

Mr Mulholland said no Crown Office investigator or prosecutor has raised concern about the evidence in the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over the south of Scotland on December 21, 1988.

Megrahi’s part in the bombing of the flight from London to New York has been called into question in a series of books and documentaries. A petition seeking “Justice For Megrahi”, backed by politicians and family members of some British victims, remains on Holyrood’s books more than two years after Megrahi’s death.

Addressing the memorial service, Mr Mulholland told the gathering his investigation “remains on the evidence, and not on speculation and supposition”.

He said: “The current instability in Libya has meant that some investigative opportunities have required to be reassessed, which I know has been frustrating for family members.

“However our prosecutors and police officers, working with UK Government and US colleagues, will continue to pursue this investigation, with the sole aim of bringing those who acted along with Al Megrahi to justice.

“There are other significant investigative opportunities open to us which are not reliant on obtaining evidence from our Libyan colleagues.

“The Crown will never give up the fight to secure justice for the families of those who died.

“It might be 26 years since 270 people lost their lives in the terrorist attack but justice has no sell-by date in Scotland.

“Over the years many people have worked on the inquiry and all have been given the same instruction; to carefully review the evidence and work to identify all of those who were involved in the conspiracy to destroy Pan Am flight 103.

“During the 26-year long inquiry not one Crown Office investigator or prosecutor has raised a concern about the evidence case.

“We remain committed to this investigation and our focus remains on the evidence, and not on speculation and supposition.”

Earlier this year, Megrahi’s relatives embarked on a legal bid to clear his name amid claims his case is the “worst miscarriage of justice in British legal history”.

Six immediate members of his family joined forces with 24 British relatives of those who died in the atrocity to seek a third appeal against his conviction.

They united to submit an application to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission for a review of the conviction, a move which could see the case referred back to the High Court.

One of those British relatives, Jim Swire, whose 23-year-old daughter Flora died in the bombing, has expressed his disappointment at Mr Mulholland’s latest comments.

Dr Swire said: “For the Lord Advocate to say there isn’t a shred of evidence to suggest the trial was anything other than what it should have been is analogous with the late Mandy Rice-Davies when she says ‘he would say that, wouldn’t he’.