BBC

Tuesday, 23 May, 2000, 11:02 GMT 12:02 UK

Computer glitch halts Lockerbie trial

The high-tech courtroom at Camp Zeist The Lockerbie trial has been hit by a technical fault which has prevented it from resuming at a special court in the Netherlands.

Proceedings have been adjourned until Wednesday by the presiding judge, Lord Sutherland.

The trial was due to resume on Tuesday after a 12-day break to allow the prosecution more time to prepare the next phase of its case against two Libyans suspected of planting a bomb on Pan Am Flight 103.

The problem arose with a computerised system which relays notes from the stenographer to screens used by the lawyers.

Lord Sutherland apologised to witnesses and relatives who had turned up for the hearing and described the delay as "regrettable but unavoidable".

The prosecution had asked for more time to question key witnesses, whose evidence is said to be crucial to the allegations linking the two men to the explosion.

Initial proceedings at the specially convened court at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands centred on the events of that night, with evidence from people who witnessed the aftermath of the blast above the tiny Scottish town.

Forensic study

However, prosecution and defence lawyers then agreed that a huge amount of evidence and testimony did not need to be presented to the court.

The three trial judges, sitting without a jury granted leave for the next stage of the trial to be prepared.

The Crown is expected to turn to one of the key chapters of evidence - the forensic study of how they allege the bomb was placed on the jumbo jet causing it to explode.

It is understood the court will be shown video images of the reconstruction of the aircraft from debris recovered over a hundred kilometres from Lockerbie.

Expert witnesses will also explain how the bomb was triggered.

The defence has called a number of other experts who dispute the Crown's version of events and the adjournment was granted so prosecution lawyers could fully question them.

The trial has continued to make the headlines during the adjournment.

Dr Jim Swire, a representative of British families of the victims, issued a warning over "trial by media" and warned that speculation over evidence could compromise the trial.

'MI6' man dropped

He was reacting to newspaper reports that the prosecution had doubts over the evidence of an explosives expert.

It also emerged that some relatives who applied for cash from the Lockerbie Air Disaster Fund had been denied cash to attend the trial.

And, on Monday, a former diplomat was dropped from an expert panel on the bombing following allegations that he was an MI6 intelligence officer.

Professor Andrew Fulton was asked to stand down as deputy director of the Lockerbie trial briefing unit at Glasgow University.

He was included on a list of MI6 officers published on the internet last year by a disaffected agent.

The decision to ask him to resign, regardless of the truth or otherwise of the allegations, was said to be based on the risk of publicity overshadowing the unit's work.

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), May 23, 2000

Answers

Fair Use: For Educational and Research Purposes Only

May 23, 2000 - 03:15 PM Lockerbie Trial Adjourned Due to Technical Problems By Jerome Socolovsky Associated Press Writer

CAMP ZEIST, Netherlands (AP) - The Lockerbie trial was adjourned moments after it reconvened Tuesday when new stenographic equipment in the $18 million, state-of-the-art courtroom malfunctioned. The presiding Scottish judge, Lord Ranald Sutherland, was clearly piqued by the problem, which caused the latest of many delays in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial.

Computer screens around the courtroom are supposed to provide a real- time transcript of the proceedings. But Sutherland said recently installed high-tech equipment "appears to have disrupted what was a perfectly working system."

The judge adjourned the case until Wednesday.

Since the two Libyan defendants were extradited on April 5, 1999, Sutherland has grudgingly granted repeated delays requested by both the prosecution and defense.

The trial of Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi and Lamen Khalifa Fhimah began May 3 at a Scottish courthouse constructed at Camp Zeist, a former U.S. air base, at a cost of $18 million to British taxpayers.

The alleged Libyan intelligence agents are accused of planting a bomb in the New York-bound airliner, which exploded Dec. 21, 1988, over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people, including 189 Americans.

Al-Megrahi and Fhimah are charged with murder, conspiracy to murder and endangering aircraft safety. They face a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The defendants have blamed Palestinian factions based in Syria for the attack. The trial is expected to last up to a year.

---http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGIW36YWL8C.html

-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), May 23, 2000.