That’s what people are asking after one highly placed Libyan source made the claim:
The claim was made by Seif al Islam, the son of Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi, in a television interview filmed as Megrahi was flown home.
“In all commercial contracts, for oil and gas with Britain, (Megrahi) was always on the negotiating table,” he said.
“All British interests were linked to the release of Abdelbaset al Megrahi.”
The claim was immediately rejected by the Foreign Office, and was followed by an angry response from the Business Secretary.
The claim has been rejected by the British Foreign Office, and former Prime Minister Tony Blair:
BEIJING, China (CNN) — Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Saturday no deals were ever made with Libya while he was in power to arrange the Lockerbie bomber’s release, a move that has caused outrage in the United States.
In an exclusive interview with CNN, Blair denied claims — made Friday by the son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi — that he raised the case of Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi every time he visited Libya as prime minister.
“Let me make one thing absolutely clear,” Blair, who stepped down as PM in 2007, told CNN’s John Vause on Saturday in Guiyang, China. “The Libyans, of course, were raising the case for Megrahi all the way along, not just with me but with everybody. It was a major national concern for them. But as I used to say to them, I don’t have the power to release Mr. Megrahi.”
(…)
Asked by CNN whether a major $900-million oil deal that Britain signed with Libya in 2004 had anything to do with al Megrahi, Blair said no.
“How could it?” he said. “I wasn’t in a position to say so-and-so should be released. That’s not the way the British system works. And the release of Mr. Megrahi, as I understand it, has been done by the Scottish Executive which, obviously, not only myself, but my successor, has no influence over.”
Blair added: “Were the Libyans always raising it? Of course. They always raised it. It’s a major issue.”
Frankly, I’m more inclined to believe the Brits on this than the Libyans.
