A new six-part series for Radio 4’s Intrigue and BBC Sounds will turn the spotlight back onto one of the most scrutinised criminal cases in modern history at a pivotal moment.
Journalist Myles Bonnar embarks on a world of secret intelligence files, terrorism and international intrigue to shed new light on the investigations into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 which killed 270 people over the Scottish town of Lockerbie.
Despite a gruelling international trial, Abdelbaset Ali Mohamed al-Megrahi’s conviction, and the failed appeals that followed, the case is still tainted by doubt and conspiracy theory. Bonnar wants to find out why.
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Produced by BBC Scotland for Radio 4’s Intrigue podcast, Lockerbie will air as the alleged bomb maker, a Libyan man called Abu Agila Masud goes on trial in Washington DC. He denies the allegations.
American prosecutors believe Masud’s trial will contain fresh revelations about how the Lockerbie bombing was planned and executed and put an end to the doubt and speculation that has persisted for almost four decades.
Al-Megrahi, a fellow Libyan who died in 2012 and is the only person convicted of the bombing, has always maintained his innocence, and doubts about the case have persisted ever since.
As the series unfolds, listeners will hear from investigators, intelligence operatives, journalists, legal experts, campaigners and those closest to the case, building a detailed picture of a tragedy whose impact continues to resonate around the world.
To understand the new trial Bonnar, whose previous award-winning podcast credits include Shiny Bob and Dead Man Running, pieces together the original investigation. He goes back to the night of the explosion, tracking down three sources with unique insight into how the police investigation unfolded.
He hears from investigators in Scotland and the CIA as the podcast revisits the intel extracted from a Libyan double agent, dubbed “Puzzle Piece”, and asks whether this information could unlock the whole investigation today.
He also interviews Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora died in the explosion, and who remains convinced that the police investigation into al-Megrahi was flawed, with the real culprit being Iran.
And he is given access to copies of secret Libyan files which raise fresh questions about Megrahi and his alleged co-conspirators. These documents have been dubbed the Senussi Files, after Abdullah Senussi – head of intelligence in Libya and Colonel Gaddafi’s brother-in-law.
The files were found in Tripoli, in the rubble of the Libyan intelligence agency, the JSO (or ESO), which was destroyed by Nato bombs following the 2011 Arab Spring uprising.
After almost four decades, and with new evidence challenging long-held beliefs, Bonnar asks whether the search for the truth in the case of Lockerbie is nearing its conclusion.
He said: “Lockerbie remains a story filled with questions, extraordinary characters and profound human loss. As new developments bring renewed attention to the case, this series explores the evidence, the controversies, and the enduring search for answers.”
Lockerbie will be available on 22 July, when all episodes will be made available on BBC Sounds.
Lockerbie is produced by Caitlin Smith, the BBC Scotland commissioners are Heather Kane Darling and Victoria Easton-Riley, and for BBC Radio 4, the commissioning executive is Tracy Williams and the commissioning editor is Dan Clarke.
