Libya sees good consequences in Lockerbie decision

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - A decision to allow a new appeal by Libyan intelligence agent Abdel Basset al-Megrahi against his conviction for the 1988 Lockerbie airliner bombing will have good consequences, a Libyan official said on Thursday.

Mohammed Elzwi, a Libyan official dealing with the Lockerbie issue and former ambassador to Britain, said in a statement: "The decision opens the door of hope regarding the innocence of Abdel Basset al-Meghrahi ... This decision will have good consequences."

Elzwi's office sent the statement to reporters traveling with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in West Africa.

An independent review body said earlier on Thursday Scotland's High Court must hear a new appeal by Megrahi against his conviction.

The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission said it had "identified six grounds where it believes that a miscarriage of justice may have occurred and that it is in the interests of justice to refer the matter to the court of appeal".

Megrahi was found guilty in 2001 of the bombing of a Pan Am flight over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, which killed 270 people. He is serving a life sentence in a prison near Glasgow.

He had an earlier appeal rejected by the High Court in March 2002.

Elzwi's statement added: "The rejection of his previous appeal was unjust. We will shortly pay a visit to Meghrahi."