The Times
September 2, 2009
Business chief Lord Trefgarne urged MacAskill to release al-Megrahi
David Brown and David Robertson
An influential group representing British business interests in Libya pressed for the urgent release of the Lockerbie bomber, citing the grave concern to its members interests should he die in prison.
Lord Trefgarne, a senior Conservative peer and chairman of the Libyan British Business Council (LBBC), wrote to the Scottish Justice Secretary outlining the risk just a month before he approved the release of Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi on August 20.
The newly disclosed letter raises fresh questions over the role of British businesses in putting pressure on the Scottish government to free the convicted terrorist.
Lord Trefgarne wrote to Kenny MacAskill: The Libyan authorities have made it clear that should [al-Megrahi] die in prison in Scotland, there will be serious implications for UK-Libyan relations. The prospect is of grave concern to LBBC members.
The LBBCs ruling council includes the oil and gas companies BP, Shell and BG International, which are hoping to exploit Libyas natural reserves. Lord Trefgarnes son, George, was until recently BPs director of media and research and still does consultancy work for the company.
Many of the oil and gas companies have substantial interests in Scotlands North Sea fields. Menzies Aviation, a subsidiary of one of Scotlands largest companies, John Menzies, is also a member of the LBBC.
Its banking members include Barclays, HSBC and the British asset management and corporate banking divisions of the American firm JP Morgan Chase, which pays Tony Blair £2 million a year as an adviser.
A delegation of senior Establishment figures arrived in Tripoli to pave the return for British businesses just a fortnight after Mr Blair visited Colonel Gaddafi in March 2004.
Shell is upgrading a liquid natural gas plant on the Libyan coast in a deal agreed during that visit. BP signed a contract during Mr Blairs second visit in 2007 that will result in it investing an initial $900 million (£557 million) to explore for oil in Libya.
Lord Trefgarne, a former minister for trade and for defence procurement in Margaret Thatchers Government, suggested to Mr MacAskill on July 17 that if al-Megrahi was not suitable for a return to Libya under a prisoner transfer agreementhe should consider a release on compassionate grounds.
He wrote: Speed is of the essence principally, of course, for humanitarian reasons, but also because of the shadow which may otherwise fall over UK-Libyan relations and especially the interests of LBBC Scottish members and indeed others.
Mr MacAskill replied on August 5, saying: I have made it quite clear that my decision will be one based on judicial grounds alone and that economic and political considerations have no place in the process.
Lord Trefgarne said after the release of al-Megrahi that British business links had developed more slowly than the council had hoped. Perhaps now, with what I would assume to be the final resolution of the Lockerbie affair as far as the Libyans are concerned, they will move forward more swiftly.
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Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
