Lonhro finances Lockerbie film
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.DR JIM Swire, father of one of the Lockerbie bomb victims, last night confirmed that a company controlled by Roland 'Tiny' Rowland was financing a film about the disaster.
Mr Rowland's involvement in the project was being watched closely because of his considerable business interests in Libya and his intervention recently in appointing a lawyer to represent the two Libyans accused of planting the bomb which destroyed Pan Am Flight 103 in December 1988.
The Financial Times discloses today that the Libyan government and Lonrho, Mr Rowland's international group of companies, have set up a shell company in the Caribbean with pounds 633,000 to fund the film. Funding is reportedly coming from Metropole Hotels, which is two-thirds owned by Lonrho and one-third by the Libyan Arab Finance company, a Libyan government investment vehicle. The film is being made by Allan Francovich, a respected producer of documentaries.
New sanctions are due to be imposed against Libya by the UN in two days to force it to hand over Abel Basset Ali al-Megrahi and Lamen Khalifa Fhimah, the two men suspected of planting the bomb.
Last night, Dr Swire, whose daughter, Flora, 24, died in the disaster, said: 'I have never subscribed to the official version that Libya was behind the bombing, so I see nothing wrong in Col Gadaffi providing money for an independent third party to rummage around in the evidence and come up with the truth.'
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments