LOCKERBIE; BELL'S DIARY; 'BRIBERY'; ALEX SALMOND

Tony Gauci's "Identification" of Megrahi. Inspector Harry Bell's diaries reveal that police knew from an early stage that Gauci had been promised an 'unlimited' reward by the USA. Dr Jim Swire has said: "How can politicians say they have total faith in the verdict when the one organisation that Scotland possesses to look into these matters says otherwise?"

Al Megrahi was convicted of the Lockerbie Bombing, by a Scottish court.

Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond has made a public statement saying he has full confidence in the verdict against Megrahi.

Alex Salmond should be kicked out of the Scottish government if he is part of the cover-up over Lockerbie.

Alex Salmond

There must be a proper inquiry into the 1988 Lockerbie Bombing.

Previously, Scottish ministers have claimed that a Lockerbie inquiry could only be called by the London Government or the United Nations.

However, Professor Black, Professor Emeritus of Scots Law at the University of Edinburgh, has said: "The reasons the Scottish Government has given for not holding an inquiry are simply not correct."

A powerful committee of the Scottish Parliament is now backing a Lockerbie inquiry

Cardinal Keith O'Brien, head of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland, Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu, TV's Ian Hislop, Dr Jim Swire father of a Lockerbie victim, former police officer Ian McKie and Edinburgh University Emeritus Scots Law Professor Robert Black are among those calling for an inquiry.

Dr Jim Swire, the father of a Lockerbie victim, has said that, without an inquiry, the name of Scottish justice will "lie in the gutter."

Dr Swire agrees with the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission that the Lockerbie trial may have been a miscarriage of justice.

"I believe that Scottish justice's verdict on this man is not safe, it must be re-examined," he said.
"And, until it is, the name of Scottish justice will lie in the gutter.

"Failure to institute an inquiry would perpetuate an indelible stain on the reputation and standing of the Scottish justice system at home and abroad.

"It is the Scottish Government's responsibility to expunge that stain."

He continued, "It will be vital that any inquiry that will be set up is seen to be led impartially.

"It might be that such impartiality could only be secured by having a president, or whatever, from outwith Scotland herself."

Cloth intact or carefully damaged?

Now we learn that previously unseen evidence has been presented in bid to prove Megrahi's innocence

Tony Gauci was a key witness in the Lockerbie Bomb trial.

Previously unseen diaries, written by Inspector Harry Bell, a Scottish detective, reveal that police knew from an early stage that Gauci had been promised an 'unlimited' reward by the US.

Dr Swire, whose daughter was killed by the Lockerbie Bombing, has said: "The diaries kept by Detective Inspector Harry Bell show he knew when he was interviewing Tony Gauci he was getting excited about the possibility of a reward.

"This information alone would ordinarily be enough to overturn the conviction. Both Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill and First Minister Alex Salmond have made public statements saying they have full confidence in the verdict against Megrahi.

"That is an extraordinary situation given the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission has ruled there may have been a miscarriage of justice...

"How can politicians say they have total faith in the verdict when the one organisation that Scotland possesses to look into these matters says otherwise? It is an untenable position."

The fragment of bomb timer was evidence 'planted by the CIA'. (Police officer said that he planted the Lockerbie bomb timer fragment.)

On Jan. 30, 1990, Tony Gauci was shown a SLALOM shirt and was asked if he had sold one to the mysterious buyer. "That man did not buy any shirt, I am sure," Gauci stated to the investigators. Ulrich Lumbert wrote: "I confirm today on July 18, 2007, that I stole the third hand-manufactured MST-13 timer PC-board consisting of eight layers of fiber-glass from MEBO Ltd. and gave it without permission on June 22, 1989, to a person officially investigating in the Lockerbie case." Lockerbie: J'accuse - OhmyNews International

Detective Inspector Bell traced a scrap of material 'which had been wrapped around the bomb' to Gauci's clothes shop in Malta.

Gauci eventually identified the Libyan al Megrahi as the man who had bought the clothing.

At the trial, Tony Gauci was uncertain about the date he sold the clothes in question, and was not sure that it was Megrahi to whom they were sold. (aangirfan: LOCKERBIE DISASTER)

Gauci gave two earlier statements in which he identified convicted Egyptian terrorist Abu Talb as the person who bought clothing.

Gauci gave earlier statements saying he did not sell a shirt to the man but six months later remembered selling shirts and the man.

Two of Gauci's statements are missing.

A babygro said to have been wrapped around the bomb and shown to the court blown to pieces was recovered intact, according to a statement from the woman who found it.

Five years after the trial, Lord Fraser reportedly described Gauci as a 'simple' man who might have been 'easily led'. Lord Fraser was the lord advocate (1989-92) who initiated the case against Megrahi.

Gauci received $2million and his brother, Paul, received $1million from the US Department of Justice.

Detective Inspector Bell kept a diary during the investigation, although this was not presented to the three judges at the Lockerbie trial in 2001.

On September 28, 1989, he recorded that the FBI had discussed with the Scottish police an offer of unlimited money to Gauci, with $10,000 being available immediately.

On March 5, 1990, he recorded a meeting with the FBI and a Maltese detective to discuss "reward money".

And on January 8, 1992, he said Dana Bhiel from the US Department of Justice had offered a $2million reward to Libyan double agent Majid Giaka, who also gave evidence against Megrahi.

Bell wrote: "He was immediately advised of our concern regarding this. I also clarified with him about the Gauci reward and the response was only if he gave evidence."

This all contradicts official police sources who have always insisted the rewards were only 'engineered' after the trial to help the Gaucis leave Malta.

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And it is time to SACK KENNY MACASKILL