STV are facing the prospect of legal action following the screening of a controversial documentary covering the Lockerbie bombing.
It has emerged that the documentary, broadcast on August 9th, may have repeated allegations that had previously resulted in Granada TV being taken to court by Air Malta, the action resulted in significant damages being awarded to the airline.
STV are facing the prospect of legal action following the screening of a controversial documentary covering the Lockerbie bombing.
It has emerged that the documentary, broadcast on August 9th, may have repeated allegations that had previously resulted in Granada TV being taken to court by Air Malta, the action resulted in significant damages being awarded to the airline.
Christine Grahame MSP has written to STV’s Chief Executive Rob Woodward pointing out that in 1993 Air Malta won a significant out of court settlement against Granada TV who had claimed the bag containing the Lockerbie bomb had been transported, unaccompanied, on an Air Malta flight.
Pan Am officials who were in Malta on the day the bag was alleged to have been loaded onto the flight have said under oath that no such unaccompanied luggage was loaded onto the flight, this was also backed up by official Air Malta documents.
The SNP MSP is long time campaigner for a full independent inquiry into the circumstances of the Lockerbie bombing and also believes that Al Megrahi was convicted unfairly.
Ms Grahame expressed her disappointment in the documentary and called it ‘misleading’.
“I was extremely disappointed when I saw the STV documentary and the one-sided and biased manner in which they recounted the events surrounding the atrocity.
“There remains very serious doubts over the safety of the conviction, but the STV film apparently chose to focus on the controversial and highly disputed claims of the senior investigators.
“There were a number of misleading statements made in the film, but I think the most worrying from STV’s perspective will be the unfounded allegation that the case alleged to have carried the bomb, was transported, unaccompanied, on an Air Malta flight.
“When Air Malta sued Granada TV for making the same unfounded allegation the airline was able to prove that all 55 bags that were loaded onto the flight to Frankfurt were ascribed to passengers. Granada TV were forced to settle out of court and pay costs to Air Malta and to this day not a single shred of evidence has ever been produced showing the bomb was on the Air Malta flight.
“I now understand that Air Malta are considering whether to take similar legal action against STV for repeating this unfounded allegation.
“Once again the gaping holes in the case raise serious questions over the safety of the conviction and have exposed the superficiality of the recent STV film.”
Ms Grahame revealed that a new documentary has been filmed that casts further doubt on Megrahi’s conviction, but that no UK broadcaster would show it.
“In October at a fringe meeting at the SNP Conference in Perth I am planning to hold a screening of another documentary covering the case which raises serious questions over how the police and FBI investigation was handled. The film … has already won international awards and reveals some shocking new details which cast further doubt over the safety of Mr Megrahi’s conviction. So far no British broadcaster, including STV, has been brave enough to show it.”
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