Jack Straw, BP and al-Megrahi's release (update)

Further to my post earlier this morning I now see in The Spectator that

'the Sunday Times has got its hands on letters which suggest the al-Megrahi release was tied up with a BP-Libya oil deal, and overseen by the Government with an eye on "the overwhelming interests for the United Kingdom". '

Here's a rather long extract from the Sunday Times which I think is most instructive:

'Two letters dated five months apart show that [Jack] Straw initially intended to exclude Megrahi from a prisoner transfer agreement with Colonel Muammar Gadaffi, under which British and Libyan prisoners could serve out their sentences in their home country.

In a letter dated July 26, 2007, Straw said he favoured an option to leave out Megrahi by stipulating that any prisoners convicted before a specified date would not be considered for transfer.

Downing Street had also said Megrahi would not be included under the agreement.

Straw then switched his position as Libya used its deal with BP as a bargaining chip to insist the Lockerbie bomber was included.

The exploration deal for oil and gas, potentially worth up to £15 billion, was announced in May 2007. Six months later the agreement was still waiting to be ratified.

On December 19, 2007, Straw wrote to MacAskill announcing that the UK government was abandoning its attempt to exclude Megrahi from the prisoner transfer agreement, citing the national interest.

In a letter leaked by a Whitehall source, he wrote: 'I had previously accepted the importance of the al-Megrahi issue to Scotland and said I would try to get an exclusion for him on the face of the agreement. I have not been able to secure an explicit exclusion.

'The wider negotiations with the Libyans are reaching a critical stage and, in view of the overwhelming interests for the United Kingdom, I have agreed that in this instance the [prisoner transfer agreement] should be in the standard form and not mention any individual.'

Within six weeks of the government climbdown, Libya had ratified the BP deal. The prisoner transfer agreement was finalised in May this year, leading to Libya formally applying for Megrahi to be transferred to its custody.'

So how does these letters fit in with 'the narrative' so carefully expressed by Gordon Brown that 'the UK government had "no role" in, and "could not interfere" with, the al-Megrahi release? How do they fit in with Peter Mandelson's protestations that described as "offensive" any suggestions that a release had been linked to a trade deal with Libya? Al-Megrahi's release stunk at the time but now the stench has become almost too much to bear, David Cameron needs a proper in-depth independent inquiry into the release of al-Megrahi. If that inquiry finds that one or more of Peter Mandelson, Jack Straw, Gordon Brown and Tony Blair acted dishonourably, lied or did favours for reward then so be it and that person (or persons) must be prosecuted.