By Gerri Peev
Last updated at 5:33 AM on 1st February 2011

Libya was given advice on how to get the Lockerbie bomber freed from a Scottish jail on compassionate grounds by a Foreign Office Minister in the Labour government, documents show.

Labour's Bill Rammell gave detailed legal advice to Colonel Gaddafi's regime on how to use Abdelbaset al-Megrahi's cancer diagnosis to secure his release – which was strongly condemned by America.

Prince Andrew is also implicated in his release, according to secret files put out by WikiLeaks.

The documents bring into serious doubt the claim by Ministers in London that they were not complicit in his release and that the decision was taken entirely by the Scottish government.

Lockerbie bomber: Labour ministers gave Libya advice on how to secure the release of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi

Lockerbie bomber: Labour ministers gave Libya advice on how to secure the release of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi

David Cameron will now also face pressure to release all the secret files relating to the freeing of Megrahi, who was convicted in 2001 of the slaughter of 270 passengers on board Pan Am Flight 103, in December 1988.

Documents reportedly show the Labour government desperately trying to win over the Libyans in exchange for lucrative oil contracts.

Megrahi was diagnosed with prostate cancer and given weeks to live in October 2008, just as a contentious prisoner transfer deal was being agreed.

Detailed legal advice: Bill Rammell

Detailed legal advice: Bill Rammell

Within a week of the diagnosis, Mr Rammell, a junior Foreign Office minister, had written to a Libyan foreign minister telling him how to use the diagnosis to get Megrahi released.

Rob Dixon, a senior Foreign Office official, met the American Ambassador to brief him on the letter.

An official American memo on the meeting states: 'FCO Minister for the Middle East Bill Rammell sent Libyan Deputy FM (foreign minister) Abdulati al-Obeidi a letter, which was cleared both by HMG (her Majesty's Government) and by the Scottish Executive, on October 17 outlining the procedure for obtaining compassionate release.

'It cites Section 3 of the Prisoners and Criminal Proceedings (Scotland) Act of 1993 as the basis for release of prisoners, on license, on compassionate grounds.

'Although the Scottish Crown informed the families of the Pan Am 103 victims in an email October 21 that the time frame for compassionate release is normally three months from time of death, Dixon stressed … the three-month time frame is not codified in the law.'

Minutes also show that then Justice Secretary Jack Straw discussed the case with First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond.

The minute of the meeting with the Americans records: 'Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond told Jack Straw that he will make the final decision.

'Salmond told Straw that he would make the decision based on humanitarian grounds, not foreign policy grounds; Dixon told us HMG has interpreted this to mean that Salmond is inclined to grant the request.'

The American ambassador then appeared to 'clear' the release, saying it should happen 'sooner rather than later' – in stark contrast to the outrage shown later by Washington.

After Megrahi was released in August 2009, another American document records Gaddafi's comments – which suggest that Prince Andrew, the UK's trade envoy, may have played a role.

The document records: 'He [Gaddafi] went on to thank his "friend Brown", the British Prime Minister, his government, Queen Elizabeth, and Prince Andrew, who 'against all odds encouraged this brave decision'.

Megrahi is still alive, living at his family home in Tripoli nearly 18 months after his release.