Last August, I wrote THIS blog about the release of the Lockerbie Bomber. On Tuesday in the Commons, following revelations in the newspapers, I raised this issue with an intervention during Justice Questions and through a Parliamentary Motion. I was also interviewed in BBC News 24.
My main point was that never again should the Government ever release a mass murderer, convicted by the British courts, on dubious grounds of ill-health and for murky commercial reasons, to be sent back and lauded by a Dictatorship.
It now has emerged that the last Labour Government - having said in September 2007 that Mr Al Megrahi, would be excluded on any prisoner release - subsequently ended this 'exclusion' by December 2007. By unhappy coincidence, BP signed a commercial agreement with Libya in January 2008. If this were not bad enough, Mr Al Megrahi has 'outlived' expectations, which was the main reason given for his release on grounds of 'compassion' last year.
My main point was that never again should the Government ever release a mass murderer, convicted by the British courts, on dubious grounds of ill-health and for murky commercial reasons, to be sent back and lauded by a Dictatorship.
It now has emerged that the last Labour Government - having said in September 2007 that Mr Al Megrahi, would be excluded on any prisoner release - subsequently ended this 'exclusion' by December 2007. By unhappy coincidence, BP signed a commercial agreement with Libya in January 2008. If this were not bad enough, Mr Al Megrahi has 'outlived' expectations, which was the main reason given for his release on grounds of 'compassion' last year.
P.P.S. The Financial Times has an article about BP deep water drilling off the Libyan Coast within weeks.
