Lockerbie documents: Labour 'did all it could' to secure bomber's release
The former Labour Government did "all it could" to help Libya secure the release of the Lockerbie bomber, Britain's most senior civil servant is to admit today.
David Cameron will today publish around 150 secret documents related to the Lockerbie bomber's release
By Simon Johnson, Scottish Political Editor 10:16AM GMT 07 Feb 2011
David Cameron will this afternoon publish a dossier of 150 pages of letters, memos and minutes related to the case after he promised Barack Obama, the US President, to review all the paperwork and see what could be made public.
In an accompanying report, Sir Gus O'Donnell, the Cabinet Secretary, concludes: "Policy was, therefore, progressively developed that Her Majesty's Government should do all it could, while respecting devolved competencies, to facilitate an appeal by the Libyans to the Scottish government for Mr Megrahi's release under the Prisoner Transfer Agreement (PTA) or for release on compassionate grounds.
"Such an approach was understood across all relevant departments."
The Daily Telegraph last week published documents obtained by the website WikiLeaks showing Bill Rammell, a Foreign Office minister, secretly advised Libya how to secure Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi's release on compassionate grounds.
The PTA was signed by Tony Blair and Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, in 2007. Jack Straw, the then Justice Secretary, originally wanted to exclude the bomber from the agreement but dropped his objection after Libya used a multi-billion pound oil deal with BP as a bargaining chip.
Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish Justice Minister, released Megrahi for compassionate reasons in August 2009 on the basis his prostate cancer meant he had less than three months to live. However, he is still alive in Libya more than 17 months later.
Mr Cameron and Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, issued a joint statement at the weekend in which they "strongly agreed" that the decision had been a mistake.
Megrahi, the only man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, was freed from jail on compassionate grounds in August 2009.
It was claimed that his prostate cancer meant he had no more than three months to live. He is still alive more than 17 months later.
Today's documents are thought to include further information about the extent to which ministers under Tony Blair's and Gordon Brown's leadership were willing to help the Libyans to secure a multi-billion pound oil deal for BP.
Their publication by the Cabinet Office is expected to undermine the Labour government's claims further that it did not interfere in the decision, which was the devolved Scottish Executive's responsibility.
Mr Cameron has previously insisted the decision was made by Scottish ministers alone, but agreed to release the documents during his first official meeting with Barack Obama last July to quell growing American anger.
Sir Gus O'Donnell, the Cabinet Secretary, has since overseen a review of "all the paperwork" related to the case. It is expected that some key passages will be redacted but officials said the publication would not be a whitewash. A Cabinet Office spokesman said: "It's quite a comprehensive review."
It is understood the release will show Labour ministers were "complicit" in efforts to free the bomber. Mr Blair was instrumental in striking a 2007 prisoner transfer agreement (PTA) with Gaddafi, signing the "deal in the desert" just hours before BP unveiled a £500 million oil contract with Libya.
Jack Straw, the former Justice Secretary, has admitted originally wanting to exclude Megrahi from the PTA. He dropped his objection after Libya used its deal with BP as a bargaining chip.
The Daily Telegraph disclosed last week that Bill Rammell, a former Foreign Office minister, sent Libyan officials legal advice on how to use the bomber's cancer diagnosis to ensure he was freed.
Mr Cameron discussed the release with Mrs Clinton at a security conference in Munich at the weekend. A Downing Street spokesman said: "The Prime Minister and Secretary of State strongly agreed that the release of the Lockerbie bomber had been a mistake."
A spokesman for Alex Salmond, the Scottish First Minister, said: "The UK Government's position changed from autumn 2008 towards one of seeking to facilitate Megrahi's release."
But he said the Executive paid "no heed" to UK ministers and the bomber's release was "based upon the precepts of Scots Law, and not on foreign policy, economic, or any other considerations."
Scottish ministers will also publish some papers detailing their discussions about Megrahi with their Westminster counterparts. Sources close to Mr Salmond said the documents would "vindicate" his administration, showing it acted in a straightforward manner, while UK ministers tried to fix trade deals.
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