Libyan bomber dies in Tripoli | WPN World People News

The man convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing has died of cancer.

Libyan authorities announced the death of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, who died at his home in Tripoli on Sunday aged 60.

A former Libyan intelligence officer, al-Megrahi was released from a Scottish prison three years ago due to his illness.

It was then believed he would die sooner.

A Scottish court found al-Megrahi guilty of involvement in the bombing in 2001.

He had been handed over to Scottish authorities by then Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi.

Al-Megrahi served eight years of a life sentence before his release in 2009, by which time he had developed serious prostate cancer.

At the time, prison doctors gave him three months to live.

Families of the 270 people who were killed over Lockerbie were incensed by his release

The US government also criticized the release of the man who was the only person convicted of the Pan Am Flight 103 attack.

During the case, prosecutors said al-Megrahi had been part of a conspiracy which involved the Libyan intelligence agency.

Al-Megrahi always claimed to be an innocent man, saying new evidence would clear his name.

Some relatives of the Lockerbie victims have also expressed belief in his innocence and have asked authorities to investigate other angles in the case.

Source: The Africa News.Net