Calls For Lockerbie Bomber To Return To Jail

Lockerbie bomber Abdel Basset al Megrahi should be "behind bars" once a new government replaces Muammar Gaddafi's regime, Nick Clegg has said.

The Deputy Prime Minister told Sky News Libyan al Megrahi, who was released from jail on compassionate grounds, should return to prison.

"My personal view is that I would like to see al Megrahi behind bars, because whatever you think, he was convicted in a court of law for one of the most atrocious terrorist acts this country has ever seen," he said.

A court ruled al Megrahi played a "significant part in planning and perpetrating" the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988. The attack killed 270.

However, Mr Clegg acknowledged: "At the end of the day this is an issue for the Scottish government alone."

The Scottish authorities released al Megrahi two years ago - because his advanced cancer meant they believed he would die within three months.

His whereabouts in Libya are currently unknown but he was greeted by cheering crowds when he returned from jail and has been pictured with Colonel Gaddafi since.

Mr Clegg continued: "He's been released for reasons that we know, he's released on licence. You can't re-try someone several times - that's not what is at stake here.

"It's for the Scottish Government to reflect on how the circumstances have changed. I'm just expressing my own view, which I did at the time, which is that this is a man that was convicted of a terrible, terrible atrocity."

One of the conditions of al Megrahi's release was that he maintain regular contact with East Renfrewshire Council - in theory any lapse in this could see him returned to prison.

"We are in uncharted waters. If we can't track him, I don't know what we would do," council leader Jim Fletcher has said.

"We'd need to take advice from the Scottish Government."

A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: "Al Megrahi was tried and convicted under Scottish jurisdiction by international agreement.

"He was sent back to Libya on compassionate grounds following the due process of Scots law because he is dying of terminal cancer.

"He is being monitored by East Renfrewshire Council according to the terms of his release licence which he has not breached," he added.

Labour's shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander said the first priority was to locate al Megrahi.

He told Sky News it would then be an issue for the Libyan authorities but he also wanted to hear from Scottish prosecutors, to see if they intend to take any action.

"He was released on what the Scottish government described as compassionate grounds in the expectation he would live only for a matter of months - he has now lived more than two years.

"That alone calls into question the original judgment.

"But there are technical yet important issues in relation to him facing any trial in Scotland given he's already been convicted," Mr Alexander said.

Two United States senators have already called for al Megrahi to be extradicted - 189 of the 270 killed in the Lockerbie bombing were American citizens.