Bomber will learn his fate; LOCKERBIE: Freeing Megrahi would cause outrage in US.

Byline: Mail Reporters

LOCKERBIE bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi will learn today whether he will be released to return to Libya.

Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill is expected to announce Megrahi's release on compassionate grounds.

The decision to free the convicted bomber is likely to cause outrage in the US where secretary of state Hillary Clinton said she hoped he would stay behind bars.

But the father of Midland Lockerbie bomb victim Flora Swire has said he believes Megrahi should be released.

Dr Jim Swire, formerly of Bromsgrove, said: "I am somebody who does not believe he is guilty. The sooner he is back with his family the better."

Megrahi could be on his way home within days - possibly before the start of Ramadan at the weekend - to spend his dying days with his family.

Mr MacAskill will make the announcement at 1pm at the Scottish Government's ministerial headquarters in Edinburgh.

He has been considering two applications - one for Megrahi to be moved from Greenock prison to Libya under a prisoner transfer agreement, and a separate application for him to be released early on compassionate grounds.

The latter course would see him return home a free man.

Announcing Mr MacAskill's plans to make a statement in Edinburgh, the Scottish government said he had reached decisions on both - but did not say what they were.

A Scottish government spokesman said: "We have a strong justice sys-tein Scotland and people can be assured that the Justice Secretary's decisions have been reached on the basis of clear evidence and on no other factors."

The early notice of his announcement was said to be in line with a pledge by Mr MacAskill to inform families on both sides of the Atlantic of the timing of the announcement. In the build-up to his decision, Mr MacAskill came under intense US pressure to keep Megrahi behind bars.

Yesterday a cancer specialist called for an "urgent" decision on the future of the man convicted of killing 270 people when a Pan Am aircraft was brought down over Lockerbie.

Professor Karol Sikora said the Libyan had an "aggressive" form of prostate cancer which was no longer responding to treatment.

"We believe he has only a very short period of time to live," said Prof Sikora, who assessed Megrahi last month.

But Mrs Clinton said it was "absolutely wrong" to release Megrahi, and American relatives have been fiercely critical of the reported plans.

Ms Clinton said yesterday: "We are still encouraging the Scottish authorities not to do so and we hope that they will not."

CAPTION(S):

Controversy: Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, in prison in Scotland.