Megrahi campaigners fear that police investigation will be ‘buried’

Campaigners for the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing fear the findings of a criminal investigation into prosecutors will “never see the light of day”.

Police Scotland launched Operation Sandwood after the Justice for Megrahi group made a series of allegations about the behaviour of the Crown Office, police and forensic officials in the run-up to the trial of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-megrahi at Camp Zeist in 2001.

The police investigation is expected to be concluded in the coming months, but the group said it expected the findings to remain “buried in the dark recesses of the Crown Office”.

In a statement, it said: “As the anniversary of the Lockerbie disaster approaches on 21 December, the families and friends of those who perished and the people of Scotland are faced with the very real possibility that the findings of the police investigation into criminal allegations related to the disaster will remain buried in the dark recesses of the Crown Office, will never see the light of day and that the Scottish Government will do nothing to prevent this happening.”

A Crown Office spokesman said an independent prosecutor had been appointed. He said: “The Lord Advocate considers it important that any allegations against persons who were representing the Crown are dealt with independently of the Crown.”