The Lockerbie Bomber

The "Lockerbie Bomber" is being set free, but Ronnie Biggs, who with his gang stole £1million+, and returned to the UK from 30-odd years in self-imposed exile, is denied release from prison in very similar circumstances. Ronnie Biggs and his gang, aren't murders. (I'm not sure, but they probably slapped a couple of people to get what they wanted)...
yet Megrahi, who is (allegedly) responsible for the deaths of 270 people (not to mention the psychological trauma to the inhabitants of Lockerbie), is allowed to go home to spend his last few weeks/months with his family.

The message, to me in any case, seems to be: Kill people = naughty, Steal money = heinous crime.

But then after reading more into it I came across this :

Oil reserves in Libya are the largest in Africa and the ninth largest in the world with 41.5 billion barrels (6.60×10^9 m3) as of 2007. Oil production was 1.8 million barrels per day (290×10^3 m3/d) as of 2006, giving Libya 63 years of reserves at current production rates if no new reserves were to be found. Libya is considered a highly attractive oil area due to its low cost of oil production (as low as $1 per barrel at some fields), and proximity to European markets. Libya would like to increase production from 1.8 Mbbl/d (290×10^3 m3/d) in 2006 to 3 Mbbl/d (480×10^3 m3/d) by 2010–13 but with existing oil fields undergoing a 7–8% decline rate, Libya's challenge is maintaining production at mature fields, while finding and developing new oil fields. Most of Libya remains unexplored as a result of past sanctions and disagreements with foreign oil companies.

Seeing that they produce so much oil the alarm bells went off and I started to dog deeper. I came across a report from Sky news

Col Gaddafi's son told Libyan TV Megrahi's release was linked to trade deals with Britain.

Seif al Islam claimed Britain's former prime minister Tony Blair raised Megrahi's case each time he visited Libya.

"In all commercial contracts, for oil and gas with Britain, (Megrahi) was always on the negotiating table,"

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Libyas-Colonel-Gaddafi-Meets-Freed-Lockerbie-Bomber-Abdel-Baset-Al-Megrahi/Article/200908315366896?lpos=World_News_Carousel_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15366896_Libyas_Colonel_Gaddafi_Meets_Freed_Lockerbie_Bomber_Abdel_Baset_Al_Megrahi

Then I found another interesting article (well 2 from different sources). One was about a man who confessed to the bombing and the other was from a Scottish Police officer who has gone on record for this.

A FORMER Scottish police chief has given lawyers a signed statement claiming that key evidence in the Lockerbie bombing trial was fabricated.
The retired officer - of assistant chief constable rank or higher - has testified that the CIA planted the tiny fragment of circuit board crucial in convicting a Libyan for the 1989 mass murder of 270 people.

You can read the whole article here. http://wizbangblue.com/2007/09/06/lockerbie-evidence-faked-scottish-police-chief.php

So at the end of the day. A man was traded for oil. Since writing this Ronnie Biggs has been released.