Megrahi deadline will be missed

A deadline to decide a transfer request for Megrahi will be missed

A 90-day deadline to decide the prison transfer request of the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing will not be met by the Scottish Government.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill told BBC Radio Scotland he needed more information before reaching a decision.

However, he stressed that the final outcome would not be affected by "political or economic" factors.

An application was received in May to let Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi complete his sentence in a Libyan jail.

Mr MacAskill is currently considering the transfer request as well as an application for release on compassionate grounds by the Libyan.

I can be quite clear that this will not be done on any political or economic basis Kenny MacAskill Justice secretary

He told BBC Radio Scotland's Morning Extra programme: "There's a 90-day timescale within the PTA (prisoner transfer agreement) and that's due to end shortly.

"I won't be able to meet it precisely because of information still to come in and I will have to reflect upon what happens.

"But I will thereafter be seeking to act as expeditiously as possible and I think I will seek if I can to deal with questions of prisoner transfer and compassion together."

Mr MacAskill has spoken with the US Attorney General, the US families and British families of victims.

He will also meet with Megrahi next week and said today that his final decision will be taken on a variety of factors.

Ongoing appeal

He added: "I can be quite clear that this will not be done on any political or economic basis.

"It will be done on the basis of what is just, fair and equitable."

He said that was why he had been listening to representations from all the parties involved.

Megrahi is currently appealing against his conviction and Mr MacAskill cannot grant a transfer while this is outstanding in the courts.

However, the justice secretary is able to consider the application from Libya and could refuse the transfer while the appeal is running.

It emerged earlier this month that no decision on the appeal against conviction will be reached until the autumn, after one of the judges involved underwent heart surgery.