Lockerbie disaster: Man accused of making bomb that blew up Pan Am flight 103 appears in US court
The man accused of making the bomb that brought down Pan Am flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988 has appeared in a US court.
Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir al-Marimi appeared in person at the Washington DC federal courthouse.
Dressed in a green jumpsuit, he walked slowly into court and spoke up only to confirm his name. He was not invited to enter a plea.
About 20 people whose relatives died in the bombing were in the public gallery.
Among them was a widow with her daughter and a man with his father who lost his mother.
They were some of many families made incomplete by the biggest terror attack in British history.
“I’ve been doing this [pursuing justice] for 34 years,” one relative, Stephanie Bernstein, told Sky News.
“My daughter was seven when my husband was killed… The United States government is going to take care of its citizens in life and in death… grateful to the Biden administration.”
The proceedings lasted under an hour and paved the way for a further detention hearing on 27 December.
Through federal lawyers assigned to him, Mas’ud said that he had not yet been able to assign his own legal counsel. He has been given a week to do so and who will remain in custody.
The 243 passengers and 16 crew on board the plane all died
Read more:
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Investigation concluded bomb placed in suitcase
Mas’ud has long been sought by prosecutors and suspected of being the “third man” behind the downing of the American plane over Lockerbie in December 34 years ago.
The 747 jumbo was at 31,000ft and just over half an hour into its transatlantic flight from London Heathrow to New York’s JFK airport when a bomb exploded.
The 243 passengers and 16 crew on board the plane all died. On the ground, in the town of Lockerbie in Dumfries and Galloway, 11 more people died as debris fell on to homes.
A painstaking and lengthy investigation combed 845 square miles of Scottish countryside for debris. It concluded that the bomb had been placed inside a cassette player that was wrapped in clothes and placed inside a suitcase.
After the Libyan government claimed responsibility in 2003, two former members of its intelligence service were arrested, extradited and tried.
Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah was acquitted. Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi was found guilty and jailed for life in 2012.
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Suspect Lockerbie bomb maker arrested
Investigators always suspected third man
Megrahi, who failed twice o have his conviction overturned, was released on compassionate grounds in 2009 and died in Libya in 2012.
Investigators always suspected a third man was part of the plot.
In 2011 after the overthrow of leader Muammar Gaddafi, Mas’ud was taken into custody in Libya as part of a sweep of arrests of regime loyalists.
The following year, he is said to have told a Libyan law-enforcement official that he was the Lockerbie bomb maker.
This apparent confession in 2012 formed the basis of a US Department of Justice case against him which was released in 2020.
The details of how Mas’ud was transferred from Libyan custody to American hands has not been revealed.
Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir al-Marimi in US custody
Scotland’s top law officer to meet US officials
The bombing remains the deadliest terror attack in British history. People from 21 counties were killed.
Scotland’s top law officer has welcomed the news that Mas’ud is in US custody.
“The steps taken by the US justice authorities are significant and progress towards a legal breakthrough is welcomed by Scottish prosecutors and police,” Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC said.
“The tragic events of December 1988 have bound Scotland and the US together in deep loss and steadfast determination that all those who committed this atrocity should be brought before a court.”
She added: “For more than 20 years, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has maintained a case team working on this investigation, bringing together a range of prosecutorial expertise in counter-terrorism, major crime investigations, forensic analysis, international co-operation and mutual legal assistance.”
Ms Bain said officials in Scotland and the US will continue to investigate the case, “with the sole aim of bringing those who acted along with al-Megrahi to justice”.
She confirmed she would be meeting American officials next week to discuss the case.
World number one golfer Scottie Scheffler says he was “rattled” and “in shock” after he was arrested and charged by police this morning.
The 27-year-old reportedly tried to get around a traffic jam caused by a fatal accident near the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, at around 6am local time (11am UK time) on Friday.
He is due to appear in court on Tuesday after being charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding signals from officers directing traffic.
Scheffler was released at 8:40am local time (1:40pm UK time) and allowed to return to the golf course to play his second round of the PGA Championship, where he currently sits three shots off the lead.
Speaking to reporters after his round, Scheffler said: “It was a chaotic situation and a big misunderstanding. My head is still spinning.
“I spent some time warming up in a jail cell, which was a first for me.
“I was pretty rattled, to say the least… I was never angry, I was just in shock. I was shaking for about an hour.
“Coming out here and trying to play today was definitely a challenge, but I did my best to control my mind and control my breathing… just try to play golf.
“I knew there was going to be a lot of distractions… but to be honest, it was great having the fans behind me. I felt they were really glad to have me out here competing today.”
Police earlier released a mugshot taken of Scheffler while he was wearing an orange jailed-issued jumpsuit.
The fatal crash occurred this morning when a bus struck and killed a man as he was crossing the road near the front gate of the Valhalla Golf Club.
Scottie Scheffler tees off hours after being detained and handcuffed. Pic: AP
Tournament officials said they were “devastated” by the death of local man John Mills, who was working for an on-site vendor at Valhalla.
Scheffler, who was not involved in the accident, was allegedly trying to drive around the crash site when he failed to stop for a police officer.
An officer is then said to have grabbed on to Scheffler’s car.
The golfer drove around 10 to 20 yards before stopping his vehicle at the entrance to Valhalla, according to an ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington who was on the scene.
Darlington said: “At that point the police officer instructed Scheffler to get out of the car.
“He rolled down the window, the police officer grabbed his arm and started pulling at it. He reached inside, opened the car door, pulled Scheffler out, pushed him up against the car, immediately placed him in handcuffs.”
According to the police report, a detective stopped Scheffler’s car and “attempted to give instruction”.
The report continued: “Subject refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging Detective Gillis to the ground. Detective Gillis suffered pain, swelling and abrasions to his left wrist and knees.
“He was transported to the hospital for further medical treatment by emergency medical personnel. Detective Gillis’ uniform pants, valued at approximately $80, were damaged beyond repair.”
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Scottie Scheffler was given a roar of support as he teed off in the second round. Pic: AP
In a statement, Scheffler’s attorney Steve Romines said the player was proceeding as directed by a traffic officer and is alleged to have disregarded signals from another officer “in the confusion”.
“Multiple eyewitnesses have confirmed that he did not do anything wrong but was simply proceeding as directed,” the statement added.
“He stopped immediately upon being directed to and never at any point assaulted any officer with his vehicle. We will litigate this matter as needed.”
Speaking after a second round, Scheffler expressed his sympathies to the family of Mr Mills.
“I can’t imagine what they’re going through this morning,” Scheffler said.
“My situation will get handled… I can’t get into what transpired… my heart goes out to the family.”
“Gut-wrenching” CCTV footage which appears to show Sean Combs attacking singer Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel “has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behaviour” of the rapper, her lawyer has said.
The 54-year-old, whose homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by Homeland Security Investigations agents in March, has faced a series of public allegations of physical and sexual violence.
Footage obtained by CNN appears to show Combs – also known as P Diddy and Puff Daddy – wearing only a white towel as he punches and kicks Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway on 5 March 2016.
The R&B singer, whose legal name is Cassandra Ventura, was his protege and girlfriend at the time.
Read more: What is Sean Combs accused of and what has he said?
The footage also shows Combs shoving and dragging her across the floor, as well as throwing a vase in her direction.
It closely resembles the description of an incident at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles described in a lawsuit filed by Cassie in November that alleged years of sexual abuse and other violence from Combs.
The case was settled the day after it was filed.
Several more lawsuits were filed in the following months, along with a federal criminal sex-trafficking investigation that led authorities to raid Combs’ mansions in Los Angeles and Miami.
Representatives for Combs did not immediately comment on the video. He has previously denied the allegations in the lawsuits and his lawyers have said he denies any wrongdoing.
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P Diddy’s homes raided
Cassie’s lawyer said: “The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behaviour of Mr Combs.
“Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”
According to NBC News, Sky News’ US partner, if Cassie were to make a complaint the LAPD could investigate, but charges would likely be declined by the district attorney because California law has a one-year statute of limitations for assault and the alleged incident happened nearly eight years ago.
CNN did not say how it obtained the video, but noted it verified the location it was shot by comparing the footage to publicly available images of the InterContinental Hotel.
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