The US Congress is being urged to probe whether an oil deal may have played a role in the release of the Lockerbie bomber, despite British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's denial of any such agreement.
Yesterday, Mr Brown insisted the final decision to free Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi had been taken by the Scottish government alone, saying: 'There was no conspiracy, no cover-up, no double dealing, no deal on oil'.
However, as criticism of the release continued to mount in the UK and across the Atlantic, Democratic senator Frank Lautenberg demanded a Senate investigation into allegations that an oil deal was brokered.
He has written to Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, asking a congressional panel to 'expose the truth' and 'uncover whether justice took a back seat to commercial interests'.
Senator Lautenberg's call came as the Scottish government was defeated in a symbolic vote on the Lockerbie affair in the Scottish Parliament.
Opposition parties defeated the SNP in a series of votes over last month's decision by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill to free terminally-ill Megrahi from prison on compassionate grounds.
In the final vote last night, the government was defeated by 73 votes to 50, with one abstention.
Scots Tory leader Annabel Goldie said: ‘(The) vote is a clear message to Alex Salmond that the SNP Government's decision to release Mr Megrahi back to Libya is not in the Parliament's name, nor is it in Scotland's name.
‘Mr Salmond's boast that he stands up for Scotland is in tatters.'
UK Conservative leader David Cameron has called for an independent inquiry into the controversy, accusing Mr Brown of not being 'straight' with the public about the government's approach.
Brown denies influence
Mr Brown has faced growing calls to say whether he agreed with the Scottish Government's decision, and yesterday he used a jobs visit to Birmingham to try and draw a line under the affair.
He said he had given no assurances on Megrahi's future to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, adding that the final decision to free the bomber was taken by the Scottish Government and UK ministers did not seek to influence it.
Denying claims Megrahi's release was intended to smooth trade and oil deals with the north African state, Mr Brown added: 'There was never a linkage between any other issue and the Scottish Government's decision about Megrahi's future.
'Our interest throughout has been to strengthen the coalition against international terrorism.'
Earlier, Foreign Secretary David Miliband confirmed former Foreign Office minister Bill Rammell was speaking on his behalf when he told Libya earlier this year that neither the Foreign Secretary nor Mr Brown wanted Megrahi to die in jail.
Mr Brown stopped short of confirming explicitly that he had favoured releasing Megrahi before his death.
But he said: 'Did we as a government say we would try to stop the Scottish Executive and force Megrahi to die in prison? No, we did not do so, and did not have the power to do so - and that was the right thing to do.'
Mr Salmond insisted Mr MacAskill's ‘difficult, challenging and brave decision’ was taken in line with due process and said he was proud to have former South African leader Nelson Mandela's support for the move.
