A damning appraisal of the corruptabilty of the Scottish Justice system has been given in an interview by Dr Jim Swire, part of the Justice for Megrahi committee who last week petitioned the Scottish Parliament to review the Pan Am 103 debacle.

He said the extant Zeist verdict against Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi has damaged the reputation of Scotland’s justice system and said the verdict was skewed by "evidence introduced at the 11th hour by the American authorities".

"Almost everyone who has looked at the evidence has come to the conclusion it was fatally flawed," he said.

"Megrahi was allowed to start a second appeal but when he saw a chance to get home to his family to die he decided to withdraw it. I understand why he did it, but it has left Scotland in a very difficult position.

“The justice system is regarded with scorn in many countries because there is a view that it is available to manipulation. We should be demanding this verdict is reviewed so we can start to recover the reputation of the justice system.”

Solicitor Eddie Mackechnie, who represented acquitted co-accused Lhamin Khalifa Fhimah, told The Firm that the US intelligence services assured the Scots prosecution authorities before the trial that they possessed a "star witness" who could identify the two accused and place them at the centre of the events. Crucially, the key material was redacted and not disclosed until the trial proceedings were underway.

The testimony of that witness, Abdul Majid Giaka, was dismissed from consideration by the three judge bench, who noted in the verdict that he was salaried monthly by the CIA.

"We are unable to accept Abdul Majid as a credible and reliable witness on any matter," they said. 

UN special observer Hans Kochler also criticised the interference of intelligence services in the trial and appeal proceedings.