Lamin Khalifah Fhimah
Lamin Khalifa Fhimah (born 4 April 1956) is a former station manager for Libyan Arab Airlines at Luqa Airport, Malta. On 31 January 2001, he was found not guilty and acquitted of 270 counts of murder in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial by a panel of three Scottish judges sitting in a special court at Camp Zeist, Netherlands.[1]
His co-accused, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, was found guilty by unanimous decision of the court and sentenced to life imprisonment, but later released for compassionate reasons.
Fhimah was born and lives in Suq el Juma'a, near Tripoli, Libya, with his wife and five children.
Trial
Charged with conspiring to murder 270 Lockerbie bombing victims, Lamin Khalifah Fhimah was represented by solicitor Eddie McKechnie, advocates Richard Keen QC, Jack Davidson QC and Murdo Macleod. Representing al-Megrahi were his solicitor, Alistair Duff, and advocates William Taylor QC, David Burns QC and John Beckett. Both defendants also had access to Libyan defence lawyer, Mr Maghour. Court proceedings started on 3 May 2000.
The three Scottish judges sitting without a jury announced their verdict on 31 January 2001. The judges were unanimous in finding the second accused, Lamin Khalifah Fhimah, not guilty of the murder charge. Fhimah was freed and returned to his home at Souk al-Juma in Libya on 1 February 2001. The conspiracy to murder charges having been dropped, Megrahi was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Greeting Megrahi after release
On 20 August 2009, al-Megrahi, who was terminally ill with prostate cancer, was granted release from prison on compassionate grounds and flew home to Tripoli later that day. Fhimah was one of the first to greet Megrahi at the top of the aircraft steps. Clad in a traditional white boubou and a brown waistcoat, he can be seen grasping Megrahi's right arm in support as he waved a small Libyan flag enthusiastically at the gathered crowd of well-wishers.[2][3]
References
- ↑ "Fhimah was found 'not guilty'" Verdict of the Scottish Court in the Netherlands
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u7VCOFvyIo Lamin Khalifah Fhimah greets Megrahi at the top of the aircraft steps
- ↑ http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/The-familiar-man-who-helped.5578578.jp by Eddie Barnes, The Scotsman, 22 August 2009
External links
- Pan Am Flight 103 – Lockerbie Appeal Judgement
- Pan Am Flight 103 – Lockerbie, The Judges
- "Case against Fhimah fatally flawed" by Gerard Seenan, The Guardian, 1 February 2001
- Original Court Opinion
- Aims & Objectives of Justice for Megrahi campaign
- Website of Dr Jim Swire and Peter Biddulph
- Dr Jim Swire: My hopes
See also
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