Bomber inquiry seeks deal details

The inquiry is examining the release of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi

A Holyrood committee will write to the US and UK governments in its inquiry into the Lockerbie bomber's release.

The justice committee will request information on their understanding of a prisoner transfer agreement between Libya and the UK signed by Tony Blair.

Committee convener Bill Aitken said the move was consistent with its remit.

Earlier this year Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill decided not to transfer Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi but rather released him on compassionate grounds.

Mr Aitken said he was unsure what the outcome of writing to the two governments might be.

He said: "Whether or not anything might come out of that which would be of any particular value remains to be seen, but my view would be that we should at least try."

SNP committee member Nigel Don said Mr MacAskill did not seem to be clear about the understanding between the US the UK concerning the prisoner transfer agreement.

'Absent information'

He called for the committee to write to Washington on the issue.

"I think there's an opportunity there to fill in that absent piece of information," Mr Don said.

Lib Dem Robert Brown said the issue was dealt with under international treaties and Labour's Cathy Craigie questioned whether this issue had "any bearing" on the decision to release Megrahi.

However, the SNP's Stewart Maxwell said the committee's remit did cover the subject.

Mr MacAskill will appear before the inquiry and evidence will be taken from others who contributed to the advice on which his decision was based.

The committee cannot consider if Mr MacAskill was right to conclude that compassionate release was justified.

It also cannot investigate the circumstances of the actual bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie on 21 December 1988.

Megrahi, 57, is the only man to have been convicted of the bombing which killed 270 people.