First Minister says Lockerbie case remains live despite bomber's death

Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond says the Lockerbie case remains a live investigation despite the death of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.

Megrahi, 60, who was sentenced to life in prison for the 1988 bombing of a US airliner which claimed 270 lives, died at home after a long battle with cancer, his brother Abdulhakim confirmed on Sunday.

The only man ever convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, Megrahi was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer on September 23 2008.

Megrahi, who was given compassionate release from prison by Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill in 2009 had been suffering from prostate cancer.

Despite his death, the Libyan remains the subject of a bitter division.

However insisting that authorities would pursue new lines of inquiry, Salmond said: "Mr Megrahi's death ends one chapter of the Lockerbie case, but it does not close the book.

"Scotland's senior law officer the Lord Advocate recently visited Libya, and we have been offered the co-operation of the new Libyan authorities.

"It has always been the Crown's position that Mr Megrahi did not act alone but with others."

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