criminal
from
News of the World
A report on the living conditions in jail of the guy convicted for masterminding the Lockerbie terrorist bomb that killed 270 innocent people.
bq. Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi was sentenced to life in 2001 for his horrific attack, which blew up a packed Pan Am airliner over a tiny Scottish town.
bq. But although caged in one of Britain's toughest jails, our exclusive pictures show the 51-year-old monster occupies a suite with facilities to rival a four-star hotel.
bq. They include his own kitchen and shower-room, a sitting room, office, and bedroom with en-suite toilet.
bq. His rooms are kitted out with a colour television, video recorder, stereo and personal computer.
bq. Prison bosses have even piped Arabic TV station Al-Jazeera—famed as the mouthpiece of terror chief Osama bin Laden—into his cell.
bq. Meanwhile, unlike other prisoners forced to barter their precious phonecards, Al Megrahi is allowed unlimited access to the telephone.
bq. Our astonishing photos were smuggled out of Glasgow's Barlinnie prison by an insider disgusted at facilities laid on for the bomber.
bq. They show how floral curtains soften the lines of Al Megrahi's barred windows—and framed art prints adorn the walls of his "cell".
bq. The sofa in his day room is big enough to seat three. His coffee table is littered with remote controls for his entertainment system.
bq. Fresh food and meat butchered in accordance with his Muslim faith is delivered for him to prepare himself. Other hot meals are delivered to his rooms.
bq. Intelligence officer Al Megrahi is also allowed to keep a private collection of videos, books and pictures.
bq. Visitors to his ground floor suite have included former South African president Nelson Mandela and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
bq. The statesmen visited to check the prisoner's conditions and Mr Mandela discussed a campaign to move him to a prison in his own country.
bq. A framed photo of Mandela seated with Al Megrahi on the cell's sofa takes pride of place on the desk.
bq. The terrorist has also pinned postcards from pals to his wall, including one showing the London Eye.
bq. And when he gets bored with the entertainment laid on in his suite, Al Megrahi plays his prison guards at football in an exercise yard.
bq. The jail insider, a former employee, said: "I would be amazed if that guy wanted to move from Barlinnie—he could not do better at the Ritz.
bq. "To my mind this bloke is a mass murderer, yet he's living like a prince at the expense of the British people.
Disgusting - scum of the earth and we kowtow to them like they are royalty.
Posted by DaveH at November 16, 2003 8:15 PM