in L'Aquila

in L'Aquila

COLONEL Muammar Gaddafi personally urged Gordon Brown to allow the repatriation of the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing as the two leaders met for the first time at the G8 summit.

The Libyan leader raised the issue of his fellow countryman Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi during a good-natured 40-minute face-to-face meeting in one of the many bilateral rooms at the L'Aquila site.

A Downing Street spokesman said there was "a short exchange" on Megrahi.

The spokesman said: "Col Gaddafi reiterated his government's long-standing position that they would like to see Megrahi back in Libya.

"The Prime Minister set out the simple facts - that this was a matter for the Scottish Government. He said he knew that this was an issue for the Libyans but that it was a matter for the Scottish courts.

"It was not his responsibility and he could not take the decision. Anyway, aside from the appeal, he said this was entirely a matter for the Scottish Government."

Col Gaddafi, attending the summit as Chairman of the African Union, was said to have nodded and "took note" of Mr Brown's response but did not pursue the matter further.

Megrahi, 57, is currently appealing his 27-year sentence through the Scottish courts. He is suffering from terminal prostate cancer. The appeal hearing is not due to conclude until next year, raising the prospect that he could die before the verdict.

Earlier this year, the UK and Libyan governments signed a prisoner transfer agreement and Kenny MacAskill, the Justice Secretary, is currently consulting all the parties concerned, including the US and Libyan governments as well as the families of the victims of the bombing before deciding whether to accede to Tripoli's request.

Megrahi is the only person to have been convicted of Britain's worst terrorist atrocity when in December 1988 a Pan Am jumbo jet exploded over Scotland, killing a total of 270 people. He continues to plead his innocence.

During yesterday's talks, Mr Brown raised two issues - the police investigation into WPC Yvonne Fletcher, who was gunned down while policing a protest outside the Libyan embassy in London in 1984, and five-year-old Nadia Fawzi, who was abducted back to Libya in 2007 by her Libyan father.

The Libyans have accepted responsibility for WPC Fletcher's death and paid compensation but they have been unco-operative in terms of allowing access to witnesses in the ongoing Metrpolitan Police investigation. Mr Brown said he wanted the Libyan Government to help "facilitate" the police investigation. Col Gaddafi was said to have "taken the point".

On the issue of Nadia Fawzi, whose mother is Briton Sarah Taylor from Wigan, the spokesman said Mr Brown made clear the UK's desire to see the girl returned home.

The Downing Street spokesman said: "Col Gaddafi undertook to see what he could do as soon as possible."

Asked if there was any suggestion of a quid pro quo deal between the Megrahi case and those of WPC Fletcher and Nadir Fawzi, the spokesman insisted there was not.