Lockerbie bombing investigator hopes ‘justice will prevail’ ahead of trial

A erstwhile researcher of the Lockerbie aerial catastrophe has said helium hopes “justice volition prevail” up of the forthcoming proceedings of a Libyan fishy alleged to person helped marque the bomb.

Stuart Cossar, a erstwhile detective inspector with the Police Service of Scotland, was made an MBE during an investiture ceremonial astatine Buckingham Palace for his enactment investigating the Lockerbie bombing – and his enactment to the bereaved families.

The 1988 violent onslaught connected a Pan-Am jumbo pitchy flying from London to New York claimed the lives of each 259 radical connected board, arsenic good arsenic 11 radical connected the crushed successful the Scottish municipality of Lockerbie, wherever the level yet crashed.

Speaking aft receiving the honour from the Princess Royal, Mr Cossar said: “It means truthful overmuch to me, but not lone to me, to my household arsenic well.

“The probe is inactive unrecorded and we person a proceedings scheduled for adjacent twelvemonth successful the US, and we anticipation that justness volition prevail.”

He added: “I consciousness I’m not lone representing myself and my family, but besides the radical of Lockerbie, and galore colleagues I’ve worked with implicit the years successful the investigation.”

Mr Cossar, who retired successful 2018 from his relation arsenic an inspector and lawman elder investigating serviceman successful the Lockerbie case, instantly returned arsenic a civilian subordinate of enactment unit truthful helium could proceed to assistance the victims’ families.

“Now I person the expansive rubric of probe and accusation manager, and I’ve been successful that station for implicit six years now,” helium said.

“It’s specified a rewarding job, and I’ve had the privilege of gathering truthful galore fantastic radical – not conscionable successful the UK but passim the world.”

He added: “And the families – they’re fantastic people.

“I truly person a precise beardown enslaved with the families now, which I’ve developed implicit galore years.”

Mr Cossar expressed gratitude for Anne’s “strong bond” with Scotland and Lockerbie.

He said: “Princess Anne was really successful Lockerbie this year, and she spoke astir the radical of Lockerbie and however resilient they each are.

“She has a precise beardown enslaved with Scotland, arsenic you know, and she has a precise beardown enslaved with Lockerbie itself.”

Pan-Am Flight 103 exploded supra Lockerbie connected December 21, 1988, 40 minutes into its formation from London to New York.

Libyan fishy Abu Agila Masud, who is to spell connected proceedings successful the US successful May 2025, is alleged to person helped marque the bomb.

Former Libyan quality serviceman Abdelbaset al-Megrahi is truthful acold the lone antheral convicted successful narration to the bombing, aft being recovered blameworthy of 270 counts of execution by a sheet of 3 Scottish judges, sitting astatine a peculiar tribunal successful the Hague successful 2001.

He was sent to situation successful Scotland but was controversially granted compassionate merchandise successful 2009 aft being diagnosed with terminal cancer, returning location to Libya wherever helium died successful 2012.