MacASKILL INFORMS FAMILIES OF ANNOUNCEMENT OF DECISIONS ON ABDELBASET ALI MOHMED AL-MEGRAHI
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has informed families and other interested parties that he has reached his decisions on the applications for prisoner transfer and compassionate release in relation to Mr Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al-Megrahi, and will announce his decisions on Thursday August 20, 2009.
This fulfils the Justice Secretary's pledge to inform families on both sides of the Atlantic, in advance, of the timing of his public announcement.
The statement will take place at 1pm on Thursday (8am Eastern Standard Time).
Mr MacAskill's statement will be followed by an opportunity for questions and one-to-one broadcast interviews.
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The above release has been sent out worldwide. Media speculation will rage through the night. 'Insiders' will claim to know what decision Kenny MacAskill has taken. Perhaps family members or friends of victims will talk to the press before the 1pm press conference. Newsnight Scotland will go into meltdown, wee Glenn Campbell will possibly be elevated again to share a desk with Kirsty Wark or even Paxman!
Whichever way the Scottish Government decision goes, one fact remains and it is this. Kenny MacAskill has shown himself to be an honest, considered man, who has retained his dignity in the overwhelming maelstrom of shite caused by Bill Aitken, Conservative Justice spokesman, Paul McBride QC, Richard Baker Labour shadow Justice minister, Tavish Scott Lib Dem Leader and Jim Murphy Secretary for the State of Scotland.
The Scottish press has embarrassed itself yet again by pandering to anti SNP headlines and the quite frankly insulting piece by Magnus Linklater (a man who appears to live in shame of his SNP member mother) in the Times.
The imminent death of Megrahi, however, will not put an end to the questions asked about the bombing of PanAm 103 and it's fateful explosion over the Lockerbie skies. That unfortunately is an industry that has much currency to be wrung from it.
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