Lockerbie bombing: No criminality in investigation or court case, police conclude
But material uncovered 'relevant to potential appeal against conviction' of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi
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A police investigation has concluded there was no criminality in the handling of the investigation and prosecution of the Lockerbie bombing case.
Detectives from Police Scotland spent four years examining nine allegations made by a campaign group called Justice for Megrahi in an investigation named Operation Sandwood.
Senior officers said their findings had been independently confirmed.
The group had accused Crown prosecutors, police and forensic officials who investigated the 1988 atrocity of perjury and perverting the course of justice.
Pan Am flight 103 was on its way from London to New York when it exploded above Lockerbie on 21 December, killing 270 people.
Libyan man Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was convicted in 2001, the only person found guilty of the attack.
He was jailed for 27 years but died of prostate cancer aged 60 in 2012 after being released on compassionate grounds in 2009.
Earlier this year the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) announced that a full review of the case would be carried out to decide whether a fresh appeal against Megrahi’s conviction can be made.
Police Scotland appear to have uncovered material they believe of importance to a pending application for a miscarriage of justice appeal
Police Scotland said of its investigation: “A dedicated team of detectives has spent the last four years examining the allegations, and their findings have been validated by a senior Queen’s Counsel, unconnected with and acting independently from the Crown Office.”
Chief Constable Iain Livingstone said officers carried out a “methodical and rigorous inquiry”.
“The substance of the allegations were diverse in nature, and the sheer scale and complexity of the task has resulted in a particularly protracted enquiry which has taken longer than originally thought,” he said.
“However, this reflects the hard work and professionalism of the officers involved and their meticulous approach to the inquiry.”
Mr Livingstone said he had now written to the Lord Advocate.
“The material collated during the inquiry and the findings and conclusions reached have relevance to both the ongoing live investigation and the potential appeal against conviction lodged on behalf of the late Mr Megrahi. The materials have therefore been handed to Crown Office officials,” he said.
The Crown Office said the documents would be given appropriate consideration.
A Justice for Megrahi spokesman said: “We have confidence that the Scottish criminal justice system will welcome this light that has now been shone into the darkness that surrounds Lockerbie and will ensure that the truth is finally revealed to those who lost their loved ones on 21 December 1988.”
Aamer Anwar, solicitor for the Megrahi family, which last year lodged a new bid to appeal against his conviction, said: “What is of significance is that Police Scotland appear to have uncovered material that they believe would be of importance to our pending application for a miscarriage of justice appeal.”