Lockerbie bomber expected to be released

Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi will learn today whether he will be released to return to Libya.

Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill is expected to announce Megrahi’s release on compassionate grounds.

The decision to free the convicted bomber is likely to cause outrage in the US where secretary of state Hillary Clinton said she hoped he would stay behind bars.

Megrahi could be on his way home within days – possibly before the start of Ramadan at the weekend – to spend his dying days with his family.

Mr MacAskill will make the announcement at 1pm at the Scottish Government’s ministerial headquarters in Edinburgh.

He has been considering two applications – one for Megrahi to be moved from Greenock prison to Libya under a prisoner transfer agreement, and a separate application for him to be released early on compassionate grounds.

The latter course would see him return home a free man.

Announcing Mr MacAskill’s plans to make a statement in Edinburgh, the Scottish government said he had reached decisions on both – but did not say what they were.

A Scottish Government spokesman said yesterday: “We have a strong justice system in Scotland and people can be assured that the Justice Secretary’s decisions have been reached on the basis of clear evidence and on no other factors.”

The early notice of his announcement was said to be in line with a pledge by Mr MacAskill to inform families on both sides of the Atlantic of the timing of the announcement.

In the build-up to his decision, Mr MacAskill came under intense US pressure to keep Megrahi behind bars.

Yesterday a cancer specialist called for an “urgent” decision on the future of the man convicted of killing 270 people when a Pan Am plane was brought down over Lockerbie.

Professor Karol Sikora, who visited Megrahi in prison, said the Libyan had an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer which was no longer responding to treatment.

“We believe he has only a very short period of time to live,” said Prof Sikora, who assessed Megrahi last month.

However Mrs Clinton said it was “absolutely wrong” to release Megrahi, and American relatives have been fiercely critical of the reported plans.

Ms Clinton said yesterday: “We are still encouraging the Scottish authorities not to do so and we hope that they will not.”

Prof Sikora, medical director of the independent cancer care network CancerPartnersUK, said he was asked by the Libyan government to provide an independent medical assessment of Megrahi.

He visited him on July 28 with Professor Ibrahim Sherif from the Tripoli medical centre, Libya and Dr Abdulrahman Swessi, Libya’s consul general in Scotland.

“Despite rumours in the media to the contrary, Mr Al Megrahi has an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread widely,” he said.

“Although he initially responded to treatment, this is no longer working. We believe he has only a very short period of time to live.

“We found him to be a highly intelligent, well-educated and deeply religious person who wishes to spend his last few weeks with his wife and five children.

“We believe an urgent decision on his future is needed before any further medical deterioration takes place.”

Megrahi successfully dropped his appeal against conviction on Tuesday.