Pan Am 103 Trial Delayed

The trial of two Libyans suspected of blowing up a Pan Am jet over Scotland in 1988 will be delayed until February to give defense lawyers more time to prepare.

High Court Judge Lord Sutherland agreed to grant the extension after meeting with the suspects and their attorneys. His ruling means the bombing trial won't get under way until Feb. 4, 2000, at the earliest. The trial could be delayed even further if lawyers ask for a second extension, which is allowed under Scottish law.

The suspects, alleged former Libyan intelligence agents Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi and Lamen Khalifa Fhimah, were handed over in April for trial under Scottish law in the Netherlands.

The men, who have proclaimed their innocence, face life sentences in Scotland's highest-security jail if they are found guilty of planting the bomb that blew up Pan Am Flight 103 over the tiny village of Lockerbie on Dec. 21, 1988.

The device, hidden in a suitcase aboard the jumbo jet, killed all 259 passengers and crew on board and 11 people on the ground.

The two suspects are charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and violations of international aviation safety laws.

Once underway, the trial will take place under heavy security at Camp Zeist, a former U.S. air base near Utrecht in the central Netherlands, 40 miles southeast of Amsterdam.

It will be the first time a Scottish court convenes outside of Scotland. Under a treaty with the Dutch, Camp Zeist will be considered Scottish soil for the duration of the trial.

Families of British victims responding to the delay said the prosecution had had more than a decade to assemble its legal arguments. "I think it is a hugely complex case. It is right and proper to get the appropriate amount of time. The case must be balanced," said Peter Watson, secretary of the Lockerbie Air Disaster Group.

"Our first priority is that this be a fair trial," said Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora died in the crash.

In the United States, George Williams of the Victims of PanAm Flight 103 group said he was not surprised to hear of the delay. "We expected that. We expected that they would delay it for whatever reason," said Williams of Joppatowne, Md.

"I would hope that there would not be any more delays after that (Feb. 4)," said Williams, whose son, Geordie, was on the plane. "There would be no reason for delay except for the purpose of delay."

Under Scottish law, both sides had 110 days to prepare their case, meaning that the trial was originally scheduled to start by Aug. 1. Legal experts say the case will take months if not years, with scores of witnesses, including forensic specialists and other experts, likely to be called.

The Netherlands was chosen as an alternative trial venue after Libya argued that the men would not receive a fair trial in the United States or Scotland.