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BP Admits Lobbying for Libyan Prisoner Exchange
By
John Del Signore
Published Jul 15, 2010
Modified Jul 15, 2010
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By
John Del Signore
Published Jul 15, 2010
Modified Jul 15, 2010
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After several U.S. Senators demanded in an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the release of Pan Am 103 bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, BP has released a statement denying that the company had any specific role in his release, but acknowledging that they lobbied the British government to enter into a prisoner transfer agreement with Libya. A doctor (who now says he was paid by the Libyans) had predicted that Megrahi, who has terminal prostate cancer, would be dead in three months, but he's reportedly living in luxury in Libya.
In a statement, BP said, "BP told the UK government that we were concerned about the slow progress that was being made in concluding a Prisoner Transfer Agreement with Libya. We were aware that this could have a negative impact on UK commercial interests, including the ratification by the Libyan government of BP's exploration agreement. The decision to release Mr. al Megrahi in August 2009 was taken by the Scottish Government. It’s not for BP to comment on the decision of the Scottish Government. BP was not involved in any discussions with the U.K. Government or the Scottish Government about the release of Mr. al Megrahi."
Senators Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) are demanding an investigation, and in a letter to Senator John Kerry, Gillibrand formally requested a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing. "We have seen an abundance of circumstantial evidence that the British and Scottish governments may have circumvented justice and organized his release in order to secure a lucrative oil drilling concession for British Petroleum,” wrote Senator Gillibrand. “If true, this would be outrageous and demands immediate scrutiny. One hundred ninety Americans, including many students and families from New York, died in the Lockerbie bombing.”
Bert Ammerman, the former head of the Victims of Pan Am Flight 103 group, tells NBC, "This is ugly. It is immoral. It is unethical. It is illegal. And there's no question there is a connection between the BP oil agreement with Libya and the release of al Megrahi." BP stands to earn as much as $20 billion from the deal, which was sealed shortly after Megrahi's release. Ammerman also wants an investigation into what the Obama administration knew about the alleged deal before it happened.
Tagged
Abdelbaset al-Megrahi
BP
lockerbie bombing
pan am 103
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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