Gaddafi’s son: Lockerbie bombing victims ‘greedy’

By Staff Reporter

Last updated 09:24, Saturday, 30 August 2008

THE son of Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi has been branded “deeply offensive” after calling the families of Lockerbie bombing victims “greedy” and “materialistic”.

Colonel Gaddafi: Son is branded ‘deeply offensive’

Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi has made the controversial comments during a television documentary to be broadcast tomorrow. The same programme – The Conspiracy Files: Lockerbie – also raises questions about the investigation into the 1988 atrocity, which killed 270 people.

Saif Gaddafi, who many believe is being groomed to succeed his father, said of the victims’ families and the £5.3m compensation they each received: “I think they were very greedy and I think they were trading with the blood of their sons and daughters.”

But lawyer Jim Kreindler, who represented many of the families, said: “No-one is trading life for money.

“Every one of the clients would give back every penny received from Libya and Pan Am had their family members not been killed.”

Dr Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora died in the bombing, added that the comments would be found deeply offensive.

Gaddafi’s son, who carries out political and diplomatic duties on behalf of his father, admitted to programme makers that his country’s government had only accepted responsibility for blowing up Pan Am flight 103 to get international sanctions lifted.

The Libyan convicted of the bombing – Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi – has lodged an appeal against his conviction.

The Conspiracy Files will be broadcast at 9pm on BBC Two.