20110403
reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - British officials will meet Scottish prosecutors on Monday to arrange a police interview with Libyan defector Moussa Koussa over the Lockerbie bombing, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said.

Former Libyan foreign minister Koussa, an ex-spy chief for Muammar Gaddafi, fled to Britain from war-torn Libya on Wednesday in a coup for Western governments who are backing rebel attempts to oust Gaddafi from power.

Families of some of the 270 people who died when Pan Am flight 103 exploded over the southern Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988 have demanded that Koussa should be handed over to Scottish police immediately.

Scottish prosecutors have asked to question Koussa, who has been talking with British government officials in an undisclosed location this week.

"My officials are discussing with the Crown Office (Scottish prosecutors) tomorrow how to go about that," Hague told BBC television on Sunday. "We want more information about past events."

The British government has said no deal is on the table for anyone from Gaddafi's regime, emphasising that those on British soil remain subject to UK law.

"There will be no immunity -- he hasn't asked for that," Hague said. "He's not under arrest but he is having discussions with my officials and it's important that those discussions are able to continue."

Hague, who has spoken to Koussa, said he would update parliament on Monday and try to give more details on the Libyan's defection and his meetings with UK officials.

The Scottish government, a devolved body, faced criticism for releasing the only person convicted for the bombing. Libyan Abdel Basset al-Megrahi was allowed to return home in 2009 because he was judged to be terminally ill with cancer.

Koussa is believed to have played a key role in the release of Megrahi, who is still alive.

Prime Minister David Cameron, in power since May 2010, has condemned Megrahi's release and criticised Britain's former Labour government for restoring diplomatic and trade ties with Libya in return for Gaddafi ending his pursuit of banned weapons.