Former Scottish detectives Tom Wood and Simon McLean examine the case against Abu Agila Mas'ud — and what the US trial could reveal about Pan Am Flight 103.
More than three decades after the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, the investigation is once again heading into a courtroom.
In this episode, Tom and Simon look ahead to the US prosecution of Abu Agila Mas'ud and discuss one of the most significant recent developments in the case: a federal judge's decision allowing prosecutors to put Mas'ud's alleged 2012 confession before the jury.
But a confession alone is not enough. Drawing on their own experience as detectives, Tom and Simon examine how prosecutors will need to build a coherent chain of supporting evidence — and how the defence will attempt to break that chain and create reasonable doubt.
They also discuss the extraordinary scale of the original Lockerbie investigation, the international cooperation between police and intelligence agencies, the painstaking recovery and cataloguing of evidence across a vast area, and the challenges of presenting evidence accumulated across almost four decades.
The conversation also turns to the continuing controversy surrounding Lockerbie, the conviction of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the acquittal of Lamin Khalifah Fhimah, and allegations that have been made about the Scottish investigation and judiciary.
Tom speaks personally about detectives and senior figures involved in the case whom he knew and worked alongside, and explains why he strongly rejects suggestions that the Scottish investigation or judges were corrupt.
As the Mas'ud case develops, Crime Time Inc. intends to keep following the evidence and return to the trial as significant developments emerge.
Crime Time Inc. — Real cases. Real detectives. Real talk.
","author_name":"Crime Time Inc"}