‘”I can assure you that no witnesses were ever offered any money by anyone–including the CIA. This issue came up at trial and I spoke with the defense lawyers about it in Edinburgh in 1999 — before trial. No one was promised or even told that they could get money for saying anything. Every FBI agent was under specific orders not to mention money to any potential witness.”
Richard Marquise — FBI agent who led the Lockerbie investigation (Communication to the author)
“The Myth surrounding Libya and Megrahi now quietly slides into history. Political Expedience rules over Truth.”
Richard C. Fuisz M.D. (Former CIA Agent) — Email to Intel Today (December 21 2018)
Mandela visiting Megrahi — aka the ‘Lockerbie bomber’ — in prison. Many thanks to my friend John Ashston who took the picture. “The same country should not be complainer, prosecutor and judge in this particular matter.” — Nelson Mandela
February 11 2019 — Professor Robert Black — the architect of the Lockerbie trial — just reminded me that on this day, ten years ago, I pointed out that key witnesses had been paid. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY
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At the time, the issue was highly controversial. Not anymore… Today, we now know that the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC Ref 23:19) found out that US$2 million had been paid to Tony Gauci and US$1 million to Paul Gauci under the US Department of Justice “Rewards for Justice” programme. Obviously, I was not wrong…
Anyway, here is what I wrote long before it was, well, the truth…
In recent times, allegations have resurfaced regarding payments offered to key witnesses of the Lockerbie trial.
Specifically, there have been rumors that Majid Giaka, Paul and Tony Gauci were each paid about US$4 million for their help in the conviction of Megrahi for the bombing of Pan Am 103 over Scotland on Dec. 21, 1988. (…)
Richard Marquise, the FBI agent who led the Lockerbie investigation, forcefully denied that witnesses were ever offered any money.
‘”I can assure you that no witnesses were ever offered any money by anyone–including the CIA,” Marquise told me.
This issue came up at trial and I spoke with the defense lawyers about it in Edinburgh in 1999 — before trial. No one was promised or even told that they could get money for saying anything. Every FBI agent was under specific orders not to mention money to any potential witness.”
Former State Department lawyer Michael Scharf told me that rewards were paid in the context of the Lockerbie trial.
‘”I knew that rewards payments were made, but not the amount. The Awards for Terrorism Information program has been around since the 1980s, and has been expanded to rewards for information leading to the arrest or conviction of international indicted war criminals like Karadzic and Mladic.
When I worked at the Office of the Legal Adviser of the State Department I was involved in the program,” Scharf told me.
Prof Black, often referred to as the architect of the Lockerbie trial, agrees.
“The issue of payments made or promised to witnesses forms an important part of the Grounds of Appeal,” Black told the author.
“At one time in Scotland, if payment had been made, or promised, to a witness that was an absolute bar to his giving evidence.
Today, it is simply a factor that must be taken into account in assessing his credibility.
However, in order for this to be done, it is necessary that the court should know that the payment was made or promised.
Failure by the Crown to disclose the promise or the payment is a serious breach of their duty to the court and to the administration of justice,” Black said.
In a telling telephone interview with George Galloway MP for ‘Talk RADIO’ on September 5 2009, Mr Frank Duggan — a veteran campaigner for the US families of Lockerbie victims — admitted he was not really familiar with certain aspects of Lockerbie.
Mr Galloway asked Mr Duggan why the U.S. government had given star witness Tony Gauci a US$ 2 million “reward” to which Mr Duggan replied:
“There was no proof of such a payment. I am not that familiar” with Mr Gauci’s evidence. (…) Now you can choose to believe Robert Black, Dr Jim Swire and all of these other ‘cranks’ or you can believe the Judges.”
Frank Duggan‘s statement was voted the most outrageous statement by Intel Today readers.
REFERENCES
THE LOCKERBIE TRIAL by RT. HON COLIN BOYD QC, LORD ADVOCATE, SCOTLAND
SCOTBOM: Evidence and the Lockerbie Investigation by Richard A. Marquise
Megrahi: You Are My Jury: The Lockerbie Evidence by John Ashton
For those interested in the Lockerbie Trial tragedy, I recommend the excellent blog of Professor Black: TheLockerbieCase. Those who want to study the forensic history of PT/35(b) will find many resources and original documents on the PT35B blog. Also, you may want to check the blog of Dr Jim Swire and Peter Biddulph: The LockerbieTruth.
Maltese man who determined Lockerbie bombing trial dies— Times of Malta
Key Lockerbie witness Tony Gauci dies in Malta— BBCNEWS
The FOIA Request that Cost Agency Employee Jeffrey Scudder His Job — UNREDACTED
CIA Role in the Pan Am 103 Investigation and Trial — CIA Website
CIA employee’s quest to release information ‘destroyed my entire career’ — WP July 2014
Lockerbie bombing: Megrahi family to launch appeal bid — BBC News
Robert Fisk: Do you know the truth about Lockerbie? — Independent
The Lockerbie Trial Verdict — ASIL (Volume 6) By Michael P. Scharf (February 13, 2001)
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Ten Years Ago — Intel Today : “Lockerbie Witnesses Were Paid”
Intel Today 