DAD WHO LOST

QUESTIONS Paul Hudson, right, wants greater transparency over case of Masud, left

- BY TOM BEVAN

THE dad of a Lockerbie victim has called for greater transparency on the health of the alleged bombmaker - after revealing further delays to his trial.

Libyan Abu Agila Masud, 74, has been accused of making the bomb which killed 270 over Lockerbie on December 21, 1988, and was due to go on trial in Washington in May this year.

But Paul Hudson, who lost daughter Melina in the atrocity as she flew home to New York after a school term in Exeter, said it has now been delayed until May next year “at the earliest”.

He has now raised concern about the health of the defendant, which he says is being held back from the public on “privacy grounds”.

He fears his health could be being manipulated - citing the example of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, who was freed early in the Scotland amid claims he had months to live but survived another three years.

Paul said he fears this could be being deployed as a delaying tactic for the trial that he had previously hoped had been cleared to start in April next year.

He said: “He seems stable as of now from what we know. But they are keeping secret his actual medical information. I find it a little strange as that is not something prejudicial. They are keeping it secret and the judge is saying it's based on medical privacy standards.

"It seems that should not really apply in cases like this.