Lockerbie Bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al-Megrahi Found In Tripoli, Said To Be Near Death

Lockerbie Bomber Found In Tripoli, Said To Be Near Death

Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi has been tracked down in Tripoli and is said to be near death.

Al-Megrahi was found by news channel CNN, who were told by his family that his cancer medicine had been stolen by looters.

"There is no doctor, there is nobody to ask and we don't have a phoneline to call anybody," His son Khaled al-Megrahi told CNN. “We just give him oxygen. Nobody gives us any advice”.

The reporter who tracked down Megrahi, Nic Robertson, said his face was “sunken” and he looked “much iller, much sicker… just a shell of the man he was”.

Megrahi was released from a Scottish jail two years ago on compassionate grounds because he was suffering from terminal prostate cancer.

Alex Salmond said on Monday morning that he had "no intention" of asking the National Transitional Council, who have taken power in Tripoli, to extradite Megrahi to the UK, telling the BBC it may be time “draw a line under that part [the compassionate release] of the Lockerbie issue”.

He said: "Anybody seeing the pictures on CNN last night - I think we can finally lay to rest the ridiculous conspiracy theory that has been ventilated by too many people, too often that somehow Mr al-Megrahi was not dying of terminal prostate cancer. You wouldn't have to be a medical expert to realise that this man is dying, is terminally ill, as we always said."

Dr Jim Swire, who lost his 23-year-old daughter Flora in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, told Sky News there would be no point questioning Megrahi again.

"I think that even if Megrahi were to be questioned he would have nothing to add to the fact that he claims innocence of involvement in the atrocity."

After international pressure to extradite Megrahi following rebels forcing Muammar Gaddafi out of the Libyan capital, the Scottish Government issued a statement with the council, which is monitoring the Lockerbie bomber.

They said they had been in touch with his family over the weekend: "There was no evidence of a breach of his licence conditions, and his medical condition is consistent with someone suffering from terminal prostate cancer.

"Speculation about al-Megrahi in recent days has been unhelpful, unnecessary and indeed ill-informed.

"As has always been said, al-Megrahi is dying of a terminal disease, and matters regarding his medical condition should really be left there.

"It is in no-one's interest for there to be a running commentary on either Mr al-Megrahi's medical condition or location, and we have no intention of providing one.

"Any change in al-Megrahi's circumstances would be a matter for discussion with the National Transitional Council as the legitimate governing authority in Libya."

During earlier communication with the Huffington Post UK, a Scottish Government spokesperson insisted: “Al-Megrahi has not breached the terms of his licence. Surviving longer than estimated is not a breach of his licence conditions.”

Libya’ National Transitional Council’s Justice Minister Mohammed al-Alagi has indicated they would not be prepared to hand over Megrahi to the West.

Close

What's Hot