Lockerbie trial nears its climax

Lawyers are due to begin their closing statements

Lawyers are due to begin winding up the trial of two Libyans accused of carrying out the 1988 Lockerbie bombing in which 270 people died.

One of Scotland's most senior QCs will address the panel of three judges on the prosecution case - he will then be followed later in the week by defence counsel.

The trial could now be over within weeks after defence teams for the accused caused surprise, on Monday, by saying they would offer no further evidence.

The decision by advocates for Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi and Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah came after the Syrian Government refused to hand over evidence which was considered vital to the defence case.

Trial details

The two accused are Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, 48, and Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah, 44

Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie on 21 December 1988, killing all 259 people on board and another 11 on the ground

The two men deny three charges - murder, conspiracy to murder and a breach of the 1982 Aviation Security Act

The trial is taking place in a Scottish courtroom at Camp Zeist, in the Netherlands

The case is being heard by a panel of Scottish judges

Mr Al Megrahi had been expected to give evidence as part of the defence's attempt to establish that Palestinian terror groups, and not Libyans, were responsible for the atrocity.

For Alistair Campbell QC, the advocate depute who has led the prosecution, the summing up speech is the final chance to remind the judges of the key facts of the crown case.

The prosecution has called 230 witnesses to try to prove beyond all reasonable doubt the guilt of Abdelbasset ali Mohmed al-Megrahi and al-Amin Khalifa Fhima.

The defence QCs, when it is their turn, will argue the prosecution has failed to do so.

There have been no witnesses who saw the bomb being placed on the doomed jumbo; instead, the prosecution has relied on a series of coincidences which it says when put together prove the guilt of the two men.

The defence will say the coincidences are no more than that - and the evidence fails the tough test which must be passed to gain convictions.

The judges are likely to begin considering their verdicts at the end of the week and could deliver their verdict by the end of January.

The trial had been expected to last at least a year.