Lockerbie bomber: Wriggling MacAskill tries to get off the hook

JUSTICE secretary Kenny MacAskill has come under fire after he claimed he "did not have a great deal of discretion" over the decision to release the Lockerbie bomber, almost a year after saying he alone had the "responsibility to decide" his fate.

• Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill is facing a growing political storm on both sides of the Atlantic over his decision to release the Lockerbie bomber. Picture: TSPL

As the row over Mr MacAskill's decision to free Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi continued, the justice secretary yesterday attempted to row back from his position of last year.

He claimed that both good practice and precedent had effectively compelled him to free the bomber and allow him to return to Libya to die.

Last year, Mr MacAskill spoke at length about the application for Megrahi's release on compassionate grounds, insisting "these are my decisions and my decisions alone".

Yet yesterday, in the wake of public condemnation from David Cameron and Barack Obama as the world leaders' met in Washington, the justice secretary denied it was a "judgment call" on his part, saying he was simply "exercising my duty" as the minister in charge in an act that was dictated by "rules and regulations".

Freeing the bomber was, he added, "a decision that I had to take".

His changing position drew further anger from opposition politicians last night.

Scottish Labour's justice spokesman, Richard Baker, said: "This is an incredible admission from the justice minister. He is making things up as he goes along. After giving a statement to the world's media at the time that he had carefully considered the case, he now says this.