London Letter: Well-done  Mr. MacAskill, Shame President Obama

“Shamefully, we have President Obama expressing his disgust at the freeing of a possibly innocent man! We have a Black President, who two weeks ago was talking about the “stupid” treatment of black Prof. Gates at the hands of US Law Enforcement and bemoaning the fact that the US Judicial System still treats US Black citizens unfairly, now complaining that a Scottish Justice Secretary has done the right thing! In this instance (and in many other instances since his election) it seems that the man who promised the world “change” when he became the first Black President of the United States is bringing about no change – other than the change of skin colour at the White House. Which is a shame, Mr. Obama. On the other hand,” Writes Dida Halak.

By Dida Halake, London

For those of us who followed the trial of the so-called “Libyan Bomber” Mr. Meghari’s trial, he should not have been found guilty in the first place by any court - for there simply was no evidence on which to base a guilty decision. There was absolutely no evidence, other than circumstantial mumbo-jumbo, to link the man to the crime he was accused of. In fact there may be much, deliberately not investigated by the British Police (like the break-in into PANAM’s Heathrow Luggage are the night before the bombing) which might have cleared Mr. Meghari. Like his co-accused who left the court a free man, Mr. Maghari should have been found “Not Guilty”. Where there was doubt, and there was/is doubt aplenty, the Scottish Judicial System allows for a third verdict: “Not Proven”. The Scottish Judicial System of which I am well aware having lived there for 12 years and even undertaken a year’s Legal Studies course, sank its reputation into the gutter by declaring the man “Guilty”.

The Scottish Justice Minister, Kenny MacAskill, a man of principle and a former defense attorney well aware of miscarriages of justice UK-wide, in this case stood up gallantly to the enormous pressure coming from the US and UK governments and did the right thing by allowing a possibly innocent man to go home to die – in the process doing his bit right a legal wrong.

Shamefully, we have President Obama expressing his disgust at the freeing of a possibly innocent man! We have a Black President, who two weeks ago was talking about the “stupid” treatment of black Prof. Gates at the hands of US Law Enforcement and bemoaning the fact that the US Judicial System still treats US Black citizens unfairly, now complaining that a Scottish Justice Secretary has done the right thing! In this instance (and in many other instances since his election) it seems that the man who promised the world “change” when he became the first Black President of the United States is bringing about no change – other than the change of skin colour at the White House. Which is a shame, Mr. Obama. On the other hand …

We must praise the Scottish Justice Secretary for a rightful and courageous stance – though this act may bring pressure and possibly vengeance upon his head.