WASHINGTON — A federal judge has delayed the trial of a former Libyan intelligence officer facing charges related to the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. The trial was postponed due to the emergence of new evidence that the defense team has requested to review. The case involves a nearly 40-year-old event.
Jury selection for Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi’s trial was expected to begin on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. This trial marks the first U.S. proceeding for the bombing that occurred over Lockerbie, Scotland, on December 21, 1988, resulting in the deaths of 270 individuals, most of whom were Americans.
U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich issued the order to delay the proceedings but did not detail the nature of the new evidence found. Defense attorneys for Al-Marimi revealed that the prosecutors informed them about the recent evidence on Saturday, emphasizing their responsibilities to thoroughly investigate these new developments. Laura Koenig, representing Al-Marimi as an assistant federal public defender, did not provide further details when questioned by The Associated Press.
A hearing is scheduled for September 1 in Washington to address the current status of the case. Judge Friedrich cited the complexity of the case, the newly surfaced evidence, and the necessity for the defense to reassess their strategy as grounds for delaying the trial.
Al-Marimi faces accusations in the U.S. of constructing the bomb responsible for the Pan Am Flight 103 explosion.
The cockpit of the 747 Pan Am airliner that exploded and crashed over Lockerbie, Scotland on Dec. 22, 1988.
Roy Letkey / AFP – Getty Images file
Flight 103 was flying at 31,000 feet above Lockerbie when a bomb detonated in the plane’s forward cargo section 38 minutes after departing from London Heathrow Airport. The destination was John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
All 259 individuals on board, including crew members, perished in the blast. Additionally, 11 persons on the ground lost their lives as the crash obliterated a city block in Lockerbie. Victims hailed from 21 nations, including 190 Americans and 43 from the United Kingdom. Among them were 35 Syracuse University students returning from studying abroad.
Kara Weipz, leading the nonprofit Victims of Pan Am Flight 103, reported that the organization had received no specifics regarding the fresh evidence that caused the trial’s delay. Weipz’s brother, Richard Monetti, was one of the Syracuse students who died in the bombing.
She described the delay as unexpected, stating that some victims’ relatives were preparing to attend the trial.
“At the same time, for almost 38 years we’ve been seeking the truth of what happened,” Weipz remarked. “If that’s what this is, then that’s a good thing, and this delay is worth it. … It’s important to hear all the facts.”
Prosecutors claim Al-Marimi and others orchestrated the bombing under the direction of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, who met his end during the 2011 civil war.
Two other Libyan intelligence operatives faced trial in 2000 under a panel of Scottish judges at a former U.S. military base in the Netherlands. The tribunal found one agent guilty while acquitting the other. However, the identification of the bombmaker remained unresolved until later.
Al-Marimi, currently in his mid-70s, stands charged with two counts of aircraft destruction resulting in death. If found guilty, he may face a life sentence.
According to prosecutors, Al-Marimi was affiliated with the Libyan intelligence service from around 1973 to 2011, reaching the rank of colonel. They assert he used a suitcase bomb, transporting it to an airport in Malta, and passed it to associates headed to Frankfurt, Germany. Investigators report that the suitcase traveled from Frankfurt to London, eventually being loaded onto Flight 103.