Release of Megrahi would cause "deep unease"

Releasing the Lockerbie bomber early from a Scottish jail would cause "deep unease", Tory leader Annabel Goldie said today as she pressed the First Minister on whether the convicted terrorist could be returned to his own country.

Miss Goldie challenged Alex Salmond after a newspaper report claimed senior civil servants from Holyrood had met a delegation from Tripoli to discuss the possible return of Abdelbaset Ali Al Megrahi to Libya.

The Herald said secret talks were being held which could result in Al Megrahi dropping his appeal against conviction and being transferred from Greenock prison to Libya under a diplomatic deal.

Today at First Minister's Questions in the Scottish Parliament Miss Goldie demanded: "We do need to know the position of this Scottish Government - is the First Minister minded to release a convicted terrorist back to their home country before they have served their full sentence?"

And she said: "Does the First Minister recognise that there would be widespread and deep unease if any convicted terrorist prisoner were allowed to leave Scotland prior to completion of their sentence.

"This is a very serious issue First Minister, and we need a serious answer."

Mr Salmond confirmed to her that Scottish Government officials had met Libyan officials last year.

But he stressed the information provided to them was "purely factual".

Mr Salmond said: "Yes, it is true that Scottish Government officials met Libyan officials at the request of the Libyan government in October and November, as indeed I believe UK Government officials did as well.

"The information provided to the Libyan government officials was purely factual, about the processes of the Scottish judicial system on the question of conditional release, on the question of compassionate release, indeed on the question of prisoner transfer agreement."

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair signed a memorandum of understanding during a visit to Libya, kicking off negotiations on an agreement allowing the transfer of prisoners between the two states.

But the UK Government has previously said it would be for Scottish ministers to decide if the bomber is returned to his home country.

Al Megrahi, 56, was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in September.

The former Libyan Airlines security steward was convicted of the Lockerbie bombing in 2001.

His second appeal against that is expected to begin later this year.

Lawyers are also expected to seek Al Megrahi's release on compassionate grounds and his wife has appealed to the Scottish authorities for him to be freed.

Today Mr Salmond said he could not prejudge any decisions the government may have to make regarding the case.

He told Miss Goldie: "You can not as a minister prejudge or comment on decisions which it is possible you will be asked to make and I do not intend to do so on any case, and would not do so on any case where that was a possibility."

He went on: "I'm sure Annabel Goldie as a qualified lawyer understands the point that any minister could not possibly anticipate a decision before any such decision was placed before them, because these things have to be done in terms of the integrity of the system.

"And just as it is important to uphold the overall integrity of the Scottish judicial system, it is important that particular cases are not prejudged and I don't intend to do that."

Afterwards a Scottish Government spokesman said: "A Prisoner Transfer Agreement between the UK and Libyan governments was signed on 17 November 2008. This agreement has not yet been laid before the UK Parliament or ratified by the UK Government, and no applications can be made until this process has taken place."

But he stressed: "Scottish ministers have the responsibility for making decisions on applications for prison transfers in relation to all prisoners in Scottish prisons.

"We do not discuss hypothetical cases - each case is considered solely on its own merits."

The spokesman said there had been "no recent meetings" between Scottish Government officials and representatives of the Libyan Government.

He added: "However, if the Libyan officials were to seek further meetings for factual information, we would be happy to provide that."

And he stated: "The meetings last year were purely to provide factual information. No encouragement or advice was given on any of the procedures open to Mr Megrahi, merely information on what they were.

"These concerned the application to the Scottish courts for interim liberation, which was subsequently rejected, the guidelines for compassionate release and the process of application for prisoner transfer should such an agreement be ratified by the UK Government."