WRECKAGE of the Lockerbie Pan Am plane is being sent to America ahead of a criminal trial next spring.
The key sections being transferred include the fuselage of the Maid of the Seas aircraft, which exploded over the town on the night of December 21 1988, resulting in the deaths of 270 people.
They are wanted for the trial in May of Libyan suspect Abu Aguila Mas’ud. He is facing several charges, including destruction of the aircraft resulting in death.
And the physical evidence is being shared as part of an agreement between Scottish law enforcement authorities and their American counterparts.
Victims’ families and next of kin have been informed of the development.
Another Libyan man, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, was convicted in 2001 of the murders of 270 people by the introduction of an explosive device onto a civilian aircraft. It has always been the Crown’s contention that Megrahi acted with others in the commission of his crime.
Scotland’s Lord Advocate, Dorothy Bain KC, said: “The trial court held that this act of state-sponsored terrorism was orchestrated by the Libyan government and that Megrahi was involved with others. That verdict has been subject of intense scrutiny and has been upheld twice in the appeal court.
“The transfer of evidence for the trial in the US is a strong expression of the commitment that Scottish prosecutors and officers of Police Scotland have to bringing all those responsible for this terrible act to justice.”
Laura Buchan is head of a team of prosecutors from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service working on the case. She said: “Since Mas’ud was taken into custody by the US in 2022, Scottish prosecutors and police have been engaged in a formal evidence sharing process with the US Department of Justice.
“The transfer of physical items of evidence from Scotland into US custody is beginning. The transfer includes parts of the fuselage of Pan Am 103 which are a production in the criminal investigation.
“We understand that the fuselage will hold significance for many of the families of those who lost their
lives and they have been informed of the transfer plans.”
Meanwhile, Chief Constable Jo Farrell said: “My thoughts remain with the families and friends of those who lost loved ones in 1988 and who continue to show incredible dignity and strength.
“Police Scotland remains committed to working with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and our law enforcement colleagues in the United States to support the investigation and bring those responsible for the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 to justice, no matter the passage of time.”
