- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 4 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date or dates the Cabinet Secretary for Justice met with the Parole Board to discuss the case of prisoner Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi and what was discussed.
Answer
I have not met with the parole board to discuss this case. Mr Megrahi''s application for compassionate release, and the reports from the Scottish Prison Service, were sent to the parole board on 10 August and considered by them on 11 August. Their decision and recommendation was provided to me as part of the package of final advice I received on 14 August. That advice has been published and is available at
www.scotland.gov.uk/lockerbie.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 4 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the Cabinet Secretary for Justice decided to meet Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi in Mr Al Megrahi’s prison cell at HMP Greenock.
Answer
I set out the reasons in my statement on 20 August, and again to Parliament on 24 August. The meeting did not take place in Mr Megrahi''s cell, but in a meeting room at HMP Greenock. The note of the meeting has been published and is available at:
www.scotland.gov.uk/lockerbie.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 4 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice the Cabinet Secretary for Justice received prior to his personal visit to Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi at HMP Greenock on 5 August 2009; what form that advice took, and whether it plans to release publicly a full copy of the advice.
Answer
The advice has been published and is available at
www.scotland.gov.uk/lockerbie.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 4 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason it considered the prisoner transfer request of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, given that there was an ongoing appeal by the Lord Advocate against the length of the sentence imposed on Mr Al Megrahi.
Answer
It was made clear to the Libyan authorities that the Scottish Ministers were prepared to consider an application for prisoner transfer even though all of the criteria necessary to allow it to be granted were not met at the time of submission of the application.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 4 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the First Minister stands by his comments made on 7 June 2007 in relation to Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, that “at the time, the Scottish law officers and others, including the secretary-general of the United Nations, gave assurances that any sentence that was imposed would be served in Scotland.”
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26712 on 4 September 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 4 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to instigate a full leak inquiry into why the media found out about the Cabinet Secretary for Justice’s decision to release Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi on compassionate grounds before an official announcement was made by the Cabinet Secretary on 20 August 2009.
Answer
No. I reached my decision to release Mr Al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds on 19 August 2009. Earlier media speculation about my possible decision was just that.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 4 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what remorse it considers Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi has shown for the crimes he committed.
Answer
As I said in my statement on 20 August 2009, Mr Megrahi did not show his victims any comfort or compassion. They were not allowed to return to the bosom of their families to see out their lives, let alone their dying days. No compassion was shown by him to them.
But, that alone is not a reason for us to deny compassion to him and his family in his final days.
Remorse, or admission of guilt, is not a factor in the processes for consideration for compassionate release or prisoner transfer.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 4 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the comments of the First Minister on the BBC programme Good Morning Scotland on 21 August 2009 that the Cabinet Secretary for Justice received advice from officials in the Justice and Communities Directorate on the decision to visit Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi at HMP Greenock, whether it agrees that the content of this advice is firmly in the public interest and should be released as a matter of urgency.
Answer
The advice has been published and is available at
www.scotland.gov.uk/lockerbie.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 4 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive (a) on what date, (b) at what time and (c) by what means the Cabinet Secretary for Justice officially notified the families of the victims of the Lockerbie bombing that Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi was to be released on compassionate grounds.
Answer
The families of the victims were notified in an email sent at 13:03 on 20 August, as I stood up to begin my statement. Those who did not have email access were contacted by telephone at the same time.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 4 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive at what date and time the Cabinet Secretary for Justice received the recommendation from the Parole Board to release Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi on compassionate grounds.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26720 on 4 September 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/business/PQA/Default.aspx.
