Friday 20 May 2016

Nicola Sturgeon has a duty to set up an immediate Inquiry


Former Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Justice Kenny
MacAskill, in his book The Lockerbie Bombing (Biteback), writes:
"Clothes in the suitcase containing the bomb were acquired in Malta, though not by Megrahi"
This totally contradicts the written verdict of the Lockerbie trial judges regarding the identification evidence given by Maltese shopkeeper Tony Gauci.
 
"[88] A major factor in the case against [Baset al-Megrahi] is the identification evidence of [Maltese shopkeeper] Mr Gauci... We 
Gauci a reliable witness.
accept the reliability of Mr Gauci on this matter."

If MacAskill is correct and Megrahi did not purchase the clothes from Tony Gauci's shop in Malta, then  how could Gauci have seen him and recognize him from photographs and in a police identity parade, and in the courtroom? 

As Justice Minister MacAskill was privy to all security reports and the entire trial evidence. He worked closely with the office of the Lord Advocate.

If he knows of evidence indicating that Megrahi was not the person who purchased clothes from Gauci's shop, then he has a legal and moral duty to say what it is.

If there is such evidence, then the entire testimony of the only identification witness in the Lockerbie trial, Tony Gauci, is invalid, and a major miscarriage of justice has occurred.

MacAskill's moral and legal duty, and that of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, extends not only to those bereaved 
Sturgeon: Urgent inquiry?
relatives who believe Megrahi to be innocent, but to all bereaved Lockerbie relatives in America and elsewhere.


Nicola Sturgeon must grasp the nettle in this matter and instigate an urgent and immediate inquiry.