Scotland First Minister Writes To US Over Megrahi-BP Row - BBC

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES Scotland's first minister Alex Salmond has written to U.S. senator John Kerry, chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, after senators called for an inquiry into the release of the Lockerbie bomber, the BBC reports on its website late Wednesday. Salmond said the Scottish government made the decision on "compassionate grounds" because Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi is terminally ill with prostate cancer. He said there were no representations from oil giant BP PLC (BP.LN) on the freeing of al-Megrahi, who was convicted over the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 in which 270 people died. Some U.S. senators suspect that BP lobbied for Megrahi's release to aid its chances of getting oil deals with Libya, the BBC noted. Salmond said the decision to release Megrahi was made with "integrity" and following a "clear legal process". He wrote: "I can say unequivocally that the Scottish government has never, at any point, received any representations from BP in relation to al-Megrahi." He added: "If your committee is concerned about BP's role or the PTA [prisoner transfer agreement] then it is BP and the previous U.K. administration that should be the focus of your inquiries." Full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-10720279 -Berlin Bureau, Dow Jones Newswires; +49 30 288 8410 (END) Dow Jones Newswires July 22, 2010 03:56 ET (07:56 GMT)