You are here: HomeNews1997 10 31Article 2777

General News of Friday, 31 October 1997

Source: --

Britain Invite OAU, Others Over Lockerbie

Accra, (Greater Accra) 30 Oct.,

Britain is inviting the Secretaries-General of the United Nations, Organisation of African Unity and the Arab League to send ''high-level representatives'' to examine the Scottish judicial system and discuss the arrangements for a trial of the two Lockerbie suspects in Scotland. The visit will help to reassure those who have doubts about the British request for a transparent and fair trial of the Lockerbie air disaster suspects in Scotland, a statement from the British High Commission said today. Two Libyan intelligence officers have been accused of responsibility for the Pan American Airways crash which killed over 200 persons in 1988 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie. Libya has refused to hand over the two men for trial in either the United States or Scotland, citing possible unfair trial. . This has led the U.N. to impose sanctions on Libya. Mr. Robin Cook, Britain's Foreign Secretary, explained that ''our position has always been that there should be a trial in Scotland or the United States.'' ''This initiative (the invitation) would help those who have doubts about a trial in Scotland to reassure themselves that it will be entirely transparent and fair.'' The visit will among others give the observers the opportunities to examine the facilities and procedures for the trial and see Scottish judicial system at work at first hand.