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Prosecutors finish closing arguments in Lockerbie bombing trial
CAMP ZEIST, Netherlands -- Prosecutors in the Lockerbie bombing trial wrapped up their closing statements Wednesday arguing that the evidence proves that the two Libyan defendants were the only people who could have planted the bomb that brought down Pan Am flight 103. Prosecutor Alastair Campbell told the panel of four Scottish judges that there was sufficient evidence for them to convict both Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi and Al Amin Khalifa Fahima for the mid-air bombing that killed 270 people on December 21, 1988. "When your lordships carefully and critically examine the evidence, they will be driven by that to conclude that each of the accused is guilty of murder," Campbell said.
His statement ended the prosecution's case after 12 years of investigation and eight months of hearings -- the biggest murder inquiry in British history. Earlier this week, the prosecutors, in a surprise move, dropped lesser charges against the two, deciding to gamble that the slimmed-down and condensed pattern of charges and evidence would convince the judges that there is no reasonable doubt that the two are responsible. The defendants' lawyers had been scheduled to begin their final statement later Wednesday. However, the court adjourned before lunch at the defense's request to give lawyers until Thursday to the study revisions in the indictment. The defense blamed the bombing on two Palestinian groups whose members were arrested in the late 1980s for attacks against Jewish and American targets in northern Europe. The Libyans have entered a so-called "defense of incrimination," which could win them an acquittal if judges believe there is the slightest possibility that others were responsible. Campbell conceded that the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command was an early suspect in the investigation. A German police raid on a PFLP-GC hide out several months before the Lockerbie attack turned up bombs similar to the one that blew apart the Pan Am jet. However, Campbell pointed out that those devices used a different triggering mechanism and were less sophisticated. "There's no evidence that would raise a reasonable doubt in your lordships' minds in respect of the PFLP-GC," he said. Campbell described Al-Megrahi as a high-ranking member of the Libyan intelligence service who had access to the plastic explosives and the type of timer used in the Flight 103 bomb. He said Fhimah helped smuggle explosives using his employee security pass at the international airport in Malta, where the bomb began its fateful journey. The prosecutor began his closing statement on Tuesday by maintaining that proof of the defendants' guilt is solid despite the lack of "mathematical certainty" in the evidence. He said the defendants sent the suitcase bomb on a flight from Malta's Luqa airport to Frankfurt, Germany. Lax security at Frankfurt allowed the suitcase to be routed onward to the New York-bound airliner in London, he said. About 35 minutes after takeoff, the airliner broke apart, showering Lockerbie with flaming debris. Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, seeking an end to international sanctions, surrendered the suspects in April 1999. Since their trial convened on May 3, prosecutors have called 232 witnesses and presented mounds of evidence. The judges will consider three possible verdicts under Scottish law: guilty, meaning life in prison for the pair, innocent, or "case not proven." Either of the last two choices would allow the two to walk free. About half a dozen relatives of the victims were in attendance during the summation. Many of them believe the trial goes only part way in determining who was behind the bombing. Jim Swire, whose daughter was killed and who acts a spokesman for British families of the victims, said, "Of course in our search for the truth, the question of the guilt or innocence of these two men is very significant, and we shall reach that milestone sooner than we thought, so that's good news." CNN Senior International Correspondent Richard Blystone, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. RELATED STORIES: Lockerbie trial nears end RELATED SITES: Libyan Mission to the U.N. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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