Oil played a role in Lockerbie release, admits British minister

Sep 5, 2009, 12:20 GMT

London - The British government admitted for the first time Saturday that oil deal considerations played a part in the controversial decision to release the Libyan man convicted of the Lockerbie plane bombing.

Jack Straw, the justice minister, told the Daily Telegraph newspaper that trade relations with Libya played 'a very big part of that', referring to the release, which has been condemned by US President Barack Obama, and some relatives of the 270 people who died in the 1988 attack.

'Im unapologetic about that... Libya was a rogue state,' Straw said.

'We wanted to bring (Libya) back into the fold. And yes, that included trade because trade is an essential part of it and subsequently there was the BP deal.'

Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi was released from a Scottish prison last month on compassionate grounds, and flown back to Tripoli.

Al-Megrahi is suffering from terminal prostate cancer, and believed to be months, or just weeks, from death.

The release prompted international outrage, forcing British Prime Minister Gordon Brown insist this week that: There was no conspiracy, no cover-up, no double dealing, no deal on oil, no attempt to instruct Scottish ministers, no private assurances.'

Documents published in Britain this week showed Straw originally promised that a prisoner transfer agreement (PTA) would only be reached with Libya if al-Megrahi was excluded.

In January 2008, British Petroleum (BP) and Libya agreed a 900 million dollar oil deal with BP.

The Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in December 21, 1988 en route to New York, killing all 269 people on board, and 11 people on the ground.

Al-Meghrahi was convicted of the crime in 2001, in a special Scottish court set up on Dutch soil, under an international agreement.