From sanjoy@mrao.cam.ac.uk Thu Oct 26 13:56:21 2000
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2000 22:15:00 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: UK/Libya: Lawyers say new evidence will rock Lockerbie trial
From: Sanjoy Mahajan <sanjoy@mrao.cam.ac.uk>
Article: 107749
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Crucial new evidence released to defence lawyers in the Lockerbie
trial will have the greatest conceivable effect
on the
proceedings, the court in the Netherlands heard yesterday.
Lawyers for the two Libyans, Abdel Baset al-Megrahi and Al-Amin
Khalifah Fhimah, accused of the biggest act of mass murder in British
history, launched urgent inquiries in six countries after being handed
evidence from a foreign source
on Monday.
The fresh evidence was first released to the crown on October 4, but defence lawyers said the information was so sensitive it threatened the lives of potential witnesses and also directly impinged on the defence of the accused.
The accused deny charges of murder, conspiracy to murder, and breaching the Aviation Security Act, and have lodged a special defence of incrimination, blaming among others the Damascus-based Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command.
There is intense speculation that the foreign source
of the
evidence is Syria.
William Taylor QC, for Mr Megrahi, said: The information we have
received, if true, is of the greatest conceivable effect on this
trial.
He asked for an adjournment to the £3m-a-month
proceedings. Lord Sutherland, the judge, adjourned the trial until
Tuesday.
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