Lockerbie suspects will learn fate tomorrow

Two Libyans accused of causing the Lockerbie bombing in which 270 people died will hear their fate tomorrow.

The three judges returned to the special Scottish court sitting at Camp Zeist, in Holland, to say they are preparing to deliver their verdict.

Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi and Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah deny murdering the people who died when New York-bound Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie in December 21, 1988.

Presiding judge Lord Sutherland said: "We do not propose to issue a verdict today. We are however able to inform you that we will be in a position to do so tomorrow".

The judges retired to consider their verdict nearly two weeks ago after evidence in the long-running case closed.

They have heard 84 days of evidence from 230 witnesses - a total of 10,232 pages of court transcripts covering more than three million words.

The judges have to decide whether the two men accused of masterminding the disaster are guilty or innocent of mass murder. Under Scots law they also have the option of a third verdict - "not proven" - which has the same effect as a verdict of not guilty.

The prosecution claims it has proved "beyond reasonable doubt" that the men in the dock are guilty.

But defence counsel have dismissed the evidence against their clients as "unreliable" and "circumstantial" and have urged the judge to acquit them. They also claim Palestinian terrorists could have planted the bomb.