Scottish court to hear new appeal to clear Lockerbie bomber's name

London, Mar 4(ANI): A new appeal is likely to be filed in aScottish court to clear the name of convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.

Campaigners, including Jim Swire, whose daughter died in the 1988 Pan Am bombing, said efforts to overturn Megrahi's 2001 conviction for the murder of 270 people would go ahead even after Megrahi's death.

A book by former Megrahi's legal team member forced the Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill to deny claims of a "nod and a wink" understanding, under which Megrahi dropped his appeal in exchange for his compassionate release and return to Libya.

John Ashton's book titled Megrahi, You Are My Jury, quoted Megrahi, as saying that he was framed for the bombing and added that evidence seen by prosecutors was never passed to the defence.

"There was a huge pressure to convict and it's clear now there was blatant intellectual dishonesty surrounding his trial Along with significant new forensic evidence, it's pretty clear this is an unsafe conviction," The Guardian quoted Aston, as saying.

Evidence not seen by the defence includes a break-in at Heathrow in the early hours of 21 December 1988 that could have allowed a device to be planted among security-screened Pan Am luggage. (ANI)