Lockerbie bombing case reopened

London, Oct. 25 (ANI): UK authorities have launched a fresh investigation into the Lockerbie bombing, which includes a review of all the forensic evidence available.

In an email sent by the Crown Office, Scotland's prosecuting authority informed the British relatives of victims that detectives in Scotland are working with forensic scientists to try to build a case against those involved in the 1988 atrocity, the Telegraph reports.

"Throughout the investigation we have, at various times, taken stock of the evidence as a whole with a view to identifying further lines of inquiry that can be pursued," Lindsey Miller, a senior Procurator Fiscal who was involved in preparing evidence for Megrahi's trial, said.

"Now that the appeal proceedings are at an end a further review of the case is under way and several potential lines of inquiry, both through a 'desktop' exercise and consultation with forensic science colleagues are being considered."

Detectives are re-examining all the evidence after Lockerbie bombing-accused, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, decided to drop his appeal against his conviction for mass murder.

Megrahi had abandoned his appeal as part of an apparent deal that saw him sent home to Libya to die.

The investigation is said to be headed by Detective Chief Inspector Michael Dalgleish, a senior officer who was part of the team that brought the case against Megrahi.

Earlier, families had sent a letter to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown demanding the Government to hold an inquiry into the bombing, in which 270 people were murdered.

The decision to re-launch the case has been welcomed by families in search of the truth about what happened when Pan Am flight 103 exploded 40 minutes after take-off above Lockerbie.

Pam Dix, whose brother Peter died in the explosion, said: "This new investigation gives us new hope. It has to be right that police don't see this as concluded.

"Even if Megrahi was guilty, he could not possibly have carried out the bombing unaided and if he is not guilty then not a single one of the conspirators of the Lockerie bombing have been brought to justice." (ANI)