Abu Agila Masud’s trial, accused in the Lockerbie bombing, could be postponed. Both prosecution and defense request a later date.
Masud is Libyan and is accused of making the Lockerbie bomb, which killed 270 people in 1988. His trial was supposed to start May 12 in Washington, but the US government and defense now want it postponed.
Investigators say Masud admitted making the bomb that exploded on a flight from London to New York in the plane’s cargo hold. Prosecutors want a delay due to Masud’s health and the case’s complexity.
Masud, in his seventies, has a health issue that is not life-threatening. The court heard Masud’s health may extend a delay 90-120 days, so the lawyers need time to revise the schedule.
Prosecutors say more delay is likely as they want time to create a new trial plan and the US is still giving the defense evidence for trial. A hearing will happen next month if the judge agrees to delay.
The FBI says Masud was a Libyan agent who worked with Abdelbasset Al-Megrahi, who was convicted in the Lockerbie bombing trial. The trial revealed the bomb was hidden in a radio cassette player inside a suitcase.
The bag with the bomb was smuggled on a flight from Malta to a Pan Am flight from Frankfurt to London, before going onto Pan Am 103. Masud told an official Gaddafi thanked him and called it a “great national duty”.
Masud allegedly confessed in 2012 while in custody in Libya. In 2022, a militia group removed him and handed him to US authorities after the Libyan PM said they followed an Interpol request.
Masud pleaded not guilty in 2022, and the Lockerbie bombing gained attention again before Masud’s trial. A Sky TV drama on the event created controversy, and a BBC/Netflix show will air later this year.