The Bombing of Pan Am 103 (2025) s01e05 Episode Script

Pan Am 103.
What has it got to do with Malta?
Feeder flights brought passengers
and baggage from other places,
including one unaccompanied
bag from Luqa Airport.
These the trousers that you sold
to this customer?
They They might have been, yes.
Big guy. Libyan.
Fresh off the fax machine from
Malta - our mystery shopper.
We could be dealing with
an ESO agent here -
Libya's equivalent to the CIA.
You're lobbying the White House
to set up a President's Commission
to look at aviation security?
We want to stop other families going
through what we've experienced.
You think this could be another
piece of the Toshiba radio?
Only one part would need
a circuit board
The timer.
And what's the CIA deal on the
Vienna embassy tip-off?
I know who put the bomb on Pan Am 103.
Our agent says he's full nut-job.
They're starting up a new
department, Witness Protection.
They want you to join them.
And leave Lockerbie?
Well, we found the bomber and
you're taking me off the case?!
This is the job. We move on
It's a promotion, McCusker.
TV NEWS REPORTER: The French
airline UTA said today it probably was
a bomb that caused a crash
of a DC-10 yesterday
- What's this?
- Another plane's been brought down.
All 171 people on board,
including seven Americans,
were killed in the crash.
More tonight from MBC's Jim Bitterman
Finally, the commission expresses
its gratitude
to the families of the victims
of Pan Am 103.
It was their resolve that led to the
creation of this commission.
It was their determination
to get the facts
and seek to prevent such a tragedy
from occurring ever again
that drove this commission and its staff
to completion of our inquiry and to
the presentation of this report.
What am I reading here?
Findings from the
President's Commission.
They've taken on 64 of 66
safety recommendations
made by our family group -
and I want Pan Am to lead
the industry in implementing
all of them.
Mr Monetti, we're simply here today
on behalf of Pan Am to find
an amount of compensation all
parties find satisfactory.
We have calculated an amount
we believe to be
appropriate for your son,
Richard Monetti.
Sorry, am I reading this right -
you've
..based your offer off Rick's
summer job?
As a junior in college,
mowing lawns was his biggest earner.
This is a joke, right?
Sorry, but our calculations
for compensation have to be
based on something solid and logical.
HE SCOFFS
Logical?
How about you give me a logical
reason why I shouldn't throw
each and every one of you
out of that window right now?
DCS Henderson. Dick Marquise.
Hi, welcome to Quantico.
Pleasure to meet you, Agent Marquise.
Looks like you brought
the weather with you, eh?
- Oh, it feels just like home.
- THEY CHUCKLE
- No Scottish accent?
- No, ah, my
..my family are from Scotland,
but I grew up in England.
Didn't come back until I was
17, somehow the accent stuck.
Well, I've got to tell you, I'm
really looking forward
to working together.
Before we start, I just want to say,
I know things weren't always easy
between you and my predecessor.
I've got a lot of respect for DCS Orr,
and I'm not surprised he was
promoted but I
I'm sure he had some choice
words about me.
Couldn't possibly comment.
HE CHUCKLES
But I do want things to be
different now I'm SIO.
That's great. Let's get started.
19th September, 1989,
nine months after Lockerbie - UTA 772.
So the first leg of the
journey departed from Brazzaville,
arriving into N'Djamena, Chad.
There, the plane left once again,
for Paris.
At 13:59 local time -
46 minutes after take-off
..a bomb exploded in the cargo hold,
killing 170 people on board.
Mr Henderson, if you'd like to take
over.
Thank you, yeah. There are several
factors that lead us
to believe that this attack was
carried out by the same
Libyan group as Pan Am 103.
Libyan operatives came in and out of
Brazzaville airport
at the time of the bombing.
A similar, multi-leg route was targeted.
The suitcase that contained the bomb
was from the same Samsonite range -
although, not identical.
We also believe it's possible that
the motivation for the attack
could be the same in both cases -
revenge for the US and French
military support for Chad
in its defence against Libya's invasion.
Alongside this, regarding Pan Am 103,
we've been trying to find the
manufacturer of the circuit board
from which, erm, this fragment came,
"PT-35".
It was found blasted
into the fabric of a shirt,
with parts of the Toshiba radio and
fibres of the blue Babygro
that was inside the bomb suitcase.
And Feraday and his team at RARDE
suspect that this circuit
board formed part of the bomb.
Specifically - from the timer.
Any progress on that?
Feraday didn't have a match,
and we cannot find a match
for any of its raw materials
But, erm, yeah, we continue to search.
So, I was talking to Tom Thurman.
He thinks that maybe we should let
the CIA take a crack
at identifying PT-35.
The CIA? I mean, you'd trust them
after everything with Khreesat?
They have a level of expertise
and intel on this
that we just don't have.
Feraday might not like it.
He's been determined to
crack it himself.
Yeah but he hasn't, has he?
No, he hasn't.
Theoretically, what would the
CIA need if they were
going to look into it?
Photographs at first, but then
eventually the real thing.
If he'll allow it.
I'll speak to him.
I mean, he knows as well as we do,
we're running out of options.
Great.
PHONE LINE RINGS
Hello.
Ed, I promise I'm only phoning with
a small favour this time.
Oh, yeah. Kathryn, how you doing?
I'm good, I'm busy, but good.
How's Witness Protection?
Yeah, it's good. It's good.
I mean, it's not Lockerbie, but
Anyway how's it going with the families?
The families' civil suits
against Pan Am just started -
Bob Monetti and his family
just won theirs.
I don't think it was easy..
Oh, wow, brilliant that's, uh
Yeah, they deserve every penny
they can get.
Yeah. Now about that favour.
I think I need your help
with the memorial.
Tundergarth? Right, are you coming over?
No, but a lot of the families are.
And your local Friendship Group
has been so kind,
do you think they might host again?
- Yeah, I'm sure they'd love to help.
- Oh, that'd be great, Ed.
And do you think you could make
those calls?
Definitely! Right, you just tell me
who's coming.
- Tom.
- Finally, I've been calling.
- Everything all right?
- More than all right.
The CIA think they may have found
a match for PT-35.
- Already?
- Yeah.
They think it looks like a circuit
board from a timer found within a
stash of weapons and bomb components
seized from Togo, West Africa.
- Seized from who in Togo?
- An ESO agent.
- Libya again.
- Mm, looks like it.
HE SIGHS
We've been looking for this for months.
They think they've found a match in
bloody 48 hours.
This is PT-35,
and that's the Togo timer.
Mm-hm.
And that's the Togo timer circuit
board under magnification.
Allen and I looked at them
in the lab this morning
and he agrees,
the tracking is identical -
the circuitry is routed in the same,
unusual way on both.
A 60 degree downturn.
Looks like a mistake.
But it's not, it's an intentional
method of working.
Creating an accidental signature.
It looks like both circuit boards
were printed from the same negative.
They were designed by the same person.
OK, so does the CIA know where the
Togo timer was manufactured?
Unfortunately, no.
But there are a couple of clues.
- MST-13, which we believe is the model number.
- Mm-hm.
But even more intriguing is this.
- You see that smaller, grey circuit board there?
- Mm-hm.
We looked at it under magnification
and found this.
What does that say?
M-580?
It's been scratched out..
They're trying to conceal what it says.
Which leads us to believe it's a
link to the manufacturer.
All right, let's get this
information to all other friendly
agencies, see if anyone can identify it.
This is great work.
I want to welcome you all to our parish,
to mark the opening of the
Tundergarth Memorial,
honouring the victims of the
Lockerbie bombing.
Each page in this book remembers one
of the 270 lives that were taken.
Every day, a page will be turned
here in our watch house.
I'd like to introduce you
to Georgia Nucci,
who brought this wonderful
memorial together.
Georgia.
Like many of you,
I lost a child in the bombing
of Pan Am 103.
My son, Christopher.
People must wonder why
I talk about him so much.
Perhaps they think it odd
or uncomfortable.
For them, maybe.
Not for me.
I'll talk about him any chance I get.
Because, when people die,
and you don't talk about them
..they die twice.
I hope that is the comfort
this memorial here
at Tundergarth will bring.
People won't stop talking.
"Out of the ashes of the disaster
came a torrent of love,
"and friendship and help.
"We are deeply indebted to the
people of Lockerbie.
"I would not wish a moment of pain
to those kind folks.
"But given that the plane did indeed
fall on Lockerbie,
"I must say this -
"after being here I am left with
the impression that the
"gentle hills of Lockerbie
received them in a loving embrace.
"Some will say the land is now
tainted
"I say it is blessed."
- Right, don't forget
- KNOCK AT DOOR
Hold on, I've got to call you back.
We've had something
back on the Togo timer.
MI5 have an idea about the
scratched-out lettering.
- And?
- They think it was originally M-E-B-O.
MEBO.
Swiss intelligence had dealings
with them in the past.
What the hell is MEBO?
SIREN WAILS IN DISTANCE
LIFT BELL DINGS
KNOCKS
- Ah, thank you very much.
- Thank you. - You're welcome.
So
..how come you were not at the memorial?
Don't know.
How many times can you say goodbye,
you know?
School OK?
Fine. Just folk are always staring.
But I'm leaving soon anyway,
end of term.
Going to go live with
David in Blackpool.
Oh, right.
You don't think I should go?
No, I think a fresh start is
definitely what you need.
And your brother, well,
he's exactly who you should be with.
I've been talking with this woman,
called Kathryn,
working with American families.
She said they've started winning
civil cases against Pan Am.
They're not to blame though, are they?
They didn't blow their own
plane out the sky.
No
..but they were negligent.
I'd rather the people that did it
went to jail.
I know. And they will.
I promise you that.
PHONE LINE RINGS
Hello?
Agent Marquise.
Stuart, hi. How are you?
So I've just got off the phone
to the Swiss police chief.
He's spoken to the head of MEBO,
Edwin Bollier,
who has freely admitted to both
making the MST-13 timers
and selling them to Libya.
Wow, that is great news!
Isn't it?
Hmm
Apparently, Bollier had already
made the link
between Libya and Lockerbie
..and tried to tell you.
He left a letter at a US embassy
saying as much,
in January '89.
Wait a minute. The US embassy in Vienna?
So you did know of his letter, then?
CLEARS THROA
Give me one second
Uh, yeah Yeah, we did, erm,
but the CIA assured me that he
wasn't credible.
But he clearly was,
seeing as his company made
part of the bomb.
Stuart, I am so sorry, I I
I don't know how the CIA could have
gotten it so wrong.
I should have spoken with
Bollier myself.
It seems to me you want Scotland
to share everything,
- but you pick and choose
- No.
- ..what you share with us.
- No.
Stuart, no, that's not true. And look
I mean, can we focus on what's
important here?
I mean, this is a huge, huge leap
forward in the investigation.
Well, they're holding
a hearing in Switzerland,
so we'll see if he actually admits
to any of this in a court of law.
Let's hope so.
Maybe we can touch base tomorrow.
PHONE SLAMS
DEAD LINE TONE
PHONE SLAMS
Morning.
Is everything OK?
I just got hauled in to see Mueller.
How does this happen?
This Bollier guy, he sells military
grade timers to the Libyans,
figures out they brought
down Pan Am 103,
then tries to tell us
all about it a month later
..but got dismissed as a lunatic?
HE SIGHS
I should have pushed the CIA more.
- I shouldn't have trusted their judgment.
- But you did.
Do the Scots know?
Henderson's pretty pissed about
the whole situation.
I don't blame him.
What's Bollier giving us now?
He's admitted to making the timers
and selling them to the ESO.
And his business partner and the
technical engineer have both
confirmed that MEBO made the fragment.
I mean, they've admitted to
all of this in court.
When can we get our hands on him?
Scotland want him first.
He doesn't want to go -
he's afraid they'll detain him.
- He's probably not wrong.
- So I've told him that if he comes to the US,
he'll be seen as a witness
not a suspect.
- You think he'll come?
- I know what I'd choose.
If he does come, I think
we should invite Henderson over.
Be a part of the interview,
we've got to
..rebuild this trust with the Scots.
HE SIGHS
It's your call.
DOOR OPENS
DOOR CLOSES
Mr Bollier, can you describe to me
the nature of your relationship
with Libya?
I've worked with the Libyan
government for years,
providing electronics.
Bombs?
No, we don't make bombs.
We make electronics.
It's not our concern how they are used.
Did you know how the Libyans were
using your timers?
I've watched them do bomb tests
with our timers in the desert,
at the Sabha airbase in Libya.
So, you knew they were to be used in
bombs?
Yes. An ESO agent once told me
they were for bombs
to be dropped from aircraft.
So, he knew exactly what
his products were being used for.
Just didn't care.
Who told you this about the bombs?
A technical officer within
the ESO in Libya.
So - a bomb maker?
Yeah. I believe so, yeah.
What was his name?
I can't recall, er, but, er,
he was different from the rest.
Much darker skin.
When was the last time you did
business with the Libyans?
Do you recall?
18th December, 1988.
That's three days before the bombing.
He's got to be wrapped up in this.
So tell me,
do you recognise
the person in that sketch?
HE EXHALES
Yeah, yes, I do. I
..I think that could be a man
I knew as Abdelbaset.
He rented office space from me
in Zurich.
What did he do there?
He appeared to me a businessman,
but I know he was associated with
those high up in the ESO.
How do you know that?
When I was in Libya, I saw him
at ESO headquarters,
alongside with very senior officers,
and even the head of the ESO.
You have his full name?
I only knew him as Abdelbaset.
This is big, right? Mystery shopper
could be connected to the ESO.
Let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Right, we'll send the name
Abdelbaset to the CIA,
see if they have anything
on him or this
bomb maker that he's talking about.
- OK.
- In the meantime,
I want every ESO name
that Bollier has, OK?
So when you get back in there,
just keep pushing him on that.
- Got it.
- Good job.
HE SIGHS
So what do you think?
I don't think we can trust him.
But what I can't work out is
..what benefits him in making
any of this up?
Hey, listen, do you want to, uh,
do you want to grab a beer
after work today?
I don't think so.
I'm sorry, I
I'm more of a
..more of a runner than I am a drinker.
You know, try to get out most days.
Keeps keeps the mind clear.
Well, I'll tell you what,
before we get started tomorrow,
me and you - I'll show you a good route.
Fine.
Good.
HE SIGHS
Since when do you have time for running?
Tomorrow, I do.
TV REPORTER: The troubled State of
America's Airline industry was laid
bare yesterday, as Pan Am filed for
protection from its creditors.
It's the third major American
airline to do so,
within the past two years.
DOOR CLOSES
- Hiya.
- Yeah.
Come here.
The airline has negotiated
Pan Am have gone bust.
..to keep these planes flying.
Richard Quest reports.
For 64 years, Pan Am have been the
US flag carrier to the world.
After the 1988 Lockerbie air crash
I wonder what this means for the
compensation for the families?
- More recently the Gulf crisis
- I don't know.
..has doubled the prices of aviation
fuel, added to the downturn
in the economy, and Pan Am simply
couldn't survive on its own.
Huh!
See? That's better than going
for a drink, right?
Yeah, it sure is.
Agent Marquise, do you have a moment?
Sorry, sorry, this'll just
take a second.
Showers are through reception.
Abdelbaset Al Megrahi.
Senior intelligence officer in the ESO.
You think this is the Abdelbaset
that Bollier was talking about?
It's a possibility.
Wow.
It's a pretty decent similarity to
the mystery shopper sketch.
That's what we thought.
And what about the bomb maker
Bollier talked about?
- Anything on him?
- Sorry, nothing yet.
But we'll keep trying.
- Thanks.
- You're welcome.
Do you know any of these men?
I think that one,
he could be Abdelbaset.
Yes.
The same man as you recognised
from the sketch yesterday?
Yes, the same.
That's it.
Now we can link this guy to not
only the clothes in the suitcase,
but also the company that
made the timer.
Before we get too excited, let's get
this photo over to our shop keeper
in Malta and see if he actually
recognises him as the shopper.
Right? Let's not just go on his word.
My apologies, Inspector.
Your boss can't be too happy we're back.
He's just pleased you're
making progress.
Aye. If you say so.
Mr Gauchi is waiting for you inside.
Do you recognise any of these
as the man that visited your shop
in December of '88?
Mm
It's OK, Tony, just take your time.
I think it could be him.
He looks young here, but he looked
older when he visited the shop.
But you think it could be the same man?
From all the photos I've been shown,
he's the only one who looks similar
to the man who bought the clothing so
When you flew in to Malta,
do you remember you
filled in a little embarkation
card at the airport?
Yes, passport number, hotel, all that.
Yeah, now while you were off the
island, the FBI were granted
access to those records from around
the time of the bombing.
- And what did you find?
- Nothing useful yet,
but let's see what this name
Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi brings up.
We have a name to check against
the embarkation card database.
Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.
We want to see if he was in Malta
any time in December '88.
Looks like he was on the island
a couple of times.
He arrived on the 7th for a few days
Travelling from Libya.
That's within the timeframe Tony
said he visited his shop, right?
Yes.
And when else was he here?
He then comes back on the 17th and
leaves the very same day.
And what about the 21st?
The day the bomb was placed.
No, sorry. He wasn't here that day.
He only visited twice.
He wasn't our bomber, then.
Well, he could have set things up
though, buying the clothes,
maybe even bringing the bomb over
He must be part of a team.
The ESO and the Libyan government,
we are not dealing with a lone
terrorist here.
Exactly. This is state sponsored
terrorism.
Well even so, to get this case to court,
we need the person who put
the bomb on the plane.
And right now, it doesn't
look like it's Megrahi.
So Bollier and the shopkeeper both
ID'd Megrahi from the same
photograph on the same day.
But Megrahi wasn't in Malta
on the 21st of December,
so he couldn't have put the
bomb on the plane.
So anyway, I'm grateful to you
for bringing more names.
I have information on Badri Hassan,
Megrahi's associate,
who Bollier knew from Zurich.
He and Megrahi shared an office
under the pretence of a company
called ABH - a front for the ESO.
He also works for Libyan Arab Airlines,
which is the main ESO cover network.
This is great. Thank you.
You'll find two more names in there,
but no photos or
further information yet -
Ahmed Khalifa Abdusamad and
Abu Agila Masud.
ESO agents?
We believe Masud is the ESO
bomb maker Bollier was
talking about in Quantico.
Masud. OK, got it.
All we know about Abdusamad is that
he's connected to Megrahi somehow.
Great, then we'll
..we'll track their movements,
and see if they were in Malta
on the day of the attacks.
Do you mind me asking where you get
these names from so quickly?
Abdusamad came via Libyan chatter
intercepted by the NSA.
And Masud?
That's all I can give you for now.
BELLS RING
DOG BARKS IN DISTANCE
TAP GUSHES IN BACKGROUND
Sorry, it doesn't look
like Badri Hassan visited
Malta at all in 1988.
But Masud and Abdusamad did.
What are the dates?
Masud flew into Malta
on the 7th of December.
The same day Megrahi arrived,
to buy the clothes.
That can't be a coincidence, can it?
And was this Masud person
still in Malta the day
the bomb was loaded, December 21st?
He actually flew back to
Libya on the 21st.
That means he was at the airport.
And what about Abdusamad?
He did not fly into Malta same
day as the others
But he did visit for one night
later that month.
Flying out on the 21st.
That means both these guys were at
the airport the same day
the bomb was loaded.
They could be the rest of the team.
Well, if we're going to
use this information in court,
these embarkation cards need to be
processed as evidence in Scotland.
We need to fly them over.
Armstrong, you're on
the next plane home.
OK.
I'll talk to De Marco.
Is there anything else on Abdusamad?
Just that he stayed that night
in a hotel on the island,
the Holiday Inn.
BELL TINKLES
Yes, hello.
I'm looking for some information on
a guest you had here
in December '88 -
Ahmed Khalifa Abdusamad.
I'm sorry, but I don't have permission
to release guest information.
One moment.
Here.
Ahmed Khalifa Abdusamad
He stayed with us on the
20th December 1988.
Do you remember what he looked like?
What about a copy of his passport?
We don't require that.
His home address, telephone number?
We only have his bill.
He paid in cash, I'm assuming?
What's this here?
That's a telephone call, sir.
Look at that -
it's 7:11 in the morning,
December 21st.
That's a Maltese number.
He was calling somebody on the island.
We need to trace this number.
Now, we know from Maltese
immigration records that both
Megrahi and Masud entered Malta
on the 7th December 1988.
This corresponds with our
shopkeeper's recollection of
the timeframe Megrahi purchased the
items for inside the bomb suitcase.
But Megrahi is the only ESO agent
yet ID'd by two witnesses -
Bollier and the shopkeeper.
But Megrahi wasn't in Malta
..on the 21st of December,
the time the bomb was placed.
However,
Masud was in Malta on the
..21st of December,
when he flew out of Luqa Airport
same time as Abdusamad,
who had flown in the day before.
I I think we can assume this
means these two men,
Abdusamad and Masud must have
been involved
in the placement of the bomb.
Have the FBI had any more luck
getting a photograph of either?
Dick says no.
Feels like either the CIA is holding
something back
..or Dick is.
LIFT BELL DINGS
Mr Bollier?
Mr Bollier?
INSISTENT KNOCKING ON DOOR
MUSIC PLAYS IN BAR
What's going on, Dick?
Do you need me to tell you or do
you already know?
I don't know what you're talking about.
Bollier turned.
He's refusing to speak further.
My guess is he's more afraid of the
Libyans than he is of us.
- When did this happen?
- Mm
Swiss police tried talking to him today.
He's out.
Which means, we are going to need
access to your asset.
I don't know what you're talking about.
HE SCOFFS
Gabe, come on.
There's no way you could have
provided all those ESO names,
unless you have someone.
Sorry. You have everything we can
give you at this point.
Yeah. The thing is, I get it.
You've got good reasons for
doing what you're doing.
You need to keep your asset safe,
right? Keep intel flowing.
I mean, Dick, come on
But this case falls apart, and these
families end up with no answers -
are you really prepared to
live with that?
I mean, I know, no-one's
going to know it was you.
Of course, they'll blame us,
the Scots - both, probably.
But
..you'll know.
Anyway
..I leave for Scotland the day
after tomorrow.
CLEARS THROA
If you change your mind,
you know where to find me.
Detective Bell.
We've been in touch with
the Malta telephone company.
The number that Abdusamad
called from the hotel belongs to
a flat rented by a Libyan man
named Lamen Khalifa Fhimah.
He's the co-owner of a travel agency
here, still operational,
but was recently a station
manager for Libyan Airlines.
Well, he could be our inside man
at Luqa Airport?
Yes, but Libyan Arab Airlines are
refusing to give us
any information on him.
Of course.
Fhimah and I, we work together.
This is our agency.
Where is he?
Tripoli, I believe.
When was the last time he was here?
Why you asking?
- Ask him again.
- When was Fhimah last here?
He's not been here for a while,
let me check his diary.
I think he left at the start
of the year.
Was he here in December 1988?
Yes.
Yes, he was here then, you can check
for yourself - this is his diary.
We'll need to get this translated.
Look at this. It's Fhimah's security
pass for Luqa Airport -
it was active at the time of the attack.
This proves he had
access to the airport.
Here, you forgot this.
- Nah, won't need it.
- Course you will!
It's Blackpool, not California.
Steven, there's clean washing down here.
Coming
KNOCK AT DOOR
- Ed. - Hi there.
- Come on in.
- How're you doing?
- Er, I'm good.
- I'm good. - Do you want a cup of tea?
- No, no. I'm, er, I'm fine.
And here he is, big man. How's it going?
- Good, aye.
- Good.
I'll give yous a wee moment.
Aye.
Are you excited for the big move?
Yeah, um, David's got my room all
ready - just mine,
double bed and everything.
- Oh, big grown-up room, aye?
- Aye.
Well, you just keep putting in the
work in school.
David says when I finish my exams,
I might be able to go to the
same college as him.
That's great. Brilliant.
But look,
I just wanted to say that, erm..
..I'm sorry about what I said
..about Pan Am paying out.
I shouldn't have got your
hopes up like that.
I told you, I don't
care about any of that stuff.
- I just want justice done.
- Aye.
Well, just so you know, the team are
making good progress on the case.
I hope so.
Steven
Steven?!
Ed. Sorry to interrupt, but, Steven,
you need to finish packing or we'll
miss the bus.
- See yer.
- Yeah.
- Right, well, I better let you get on.
- Oh, aye.
I just wanted to, uh, say goodbye.
Bye, Ed.
BELLS RING
Look, here.
The translator has just finished.
The diary says, 15th December,
"get tags for Abdelbaset".
"Get tags for Abdelbaset"?
Abdelbaset al-Megrahi?
So, Megrahi and Fhimah were linked too?
Fhimah travels with Abdusamad
and is helping Megrahi.
He must be involved in this.
Luggage tags?
That's what the translator thinks.
And what would
they have used the tags for?
To get the bomb on the plane.
This is where Abdusamad
and Masud would have checked in
for their flight back to Tripoli, right?
At the same time,
passengers were checking in
for the Air Malta flight to Frankfurt.
Look how close the check-in desks are.
If they had those tags from Fhimah
already, all they had to do
was get here to check-in
for their real trip to Tripoli.
Then either Fhimah went behind the
desk to put the bag with
the bomb through, or he just
slipped it onto the belt.
I mean, look how busy it is.
Then they board the flight to Libya.
Like nothing ever happened.
CAR LOCK SYSTEM CHIRPS
Get in, Agent Marquise.
Our asset.
His name is Giaka.
A Libyan ESO agent, low level.
He's involved with the attack?
We don't think he was directly involved,
but he knows enough about the
ESO to help you.
So this is where you've been
getting all those names?
Affirmative.
- So where is he?
- Back in Malta, hiding out.
He was in Libya,
but we advised him to leave.
He's willing to talk, in return
for relocation to the States.
Well, before we even talk about
that, the DOJ is going to
insist on a preliminary interview
with one of our agents.
Of course.
There's something else
I need to explain, Dick.
This must stay between us -
between the FBI and the CIA.
Under no circumstances can this
be shared with the Scots.
Wait, we can't keep this from them.
Sorry. We can't put his safety at risk.
Gabe, I'm the one that's
got to go over there.
I've got to go to Scotland and
look these people in the eye.
- At least let me talk to Henderson.
- If you share against orders,
understand the CIA would never trust
you with intel again.
Without that, you'd never lead a
case again. You'd be done.
This isn't right.
It's the way it has to be.
If we give you access to Giaka,
I need you to agree to my terms.
Is that understood?
It's understood.
CLEARS THROA
HEAVY KNOCK AT DOOR
Abdul Majid Giaka?
I'm coming. I'm coming.
Still nothing from the CIA?
No, nothing yet.
Sorry.
I know it's a frustrating situation.
So we received a letter from
Bollier on Monday.
Here's a summary.
He accuses the Swiss police,
the FBI and the CIA of breaking
into the MEBO offices and stealing
items to use in evidence.
He claims the fragment of circuit
board found in Scotland is not MEBO.
What else could it be?
He accuses the CIA of manufacturing it,
to look like a MEBO circuit board
and planting it in the countryside.
- This is insane.
- And makes no sense -
he was the one
who left that letter trying
to tell the CIA that Libya
was behind the attack.
And he freely admitted the timers
were manufactured by his company.
I mean
..he didn't have to talk to us.
KNOCK AT DOOR
Phone call for Agent Marquise.
Tell them I'll call them
back after the meeting.
Sorry, they've erm
..they've said it's urgent.
Excuse me.
- How'd the interview go?
- Good.
DOJ believes he's credible.
And what does he want?
Safe passage for him
and his wife to the US.
HE SIGHS
Well, what do you think
..is it worth it?
I'm not sure he'll give us the
smoking gun on this specific attack,
but he has excellent recall
about the internal structure
of the ESO, how it all works.
All right.
- Let's get him back to the States.
- Understood.
That's plenty, Vicky.
He's had pie enough as it is!
What? It's a special occasion
Dad's actually home for dinner.
How about you, Dick?
Does your family give you
a hard time for being away
all the time too?
I have three boys,
so, yeah, they let me have it.
Oh.
I don't know, I hope they'll be proud
of what I do, one day.
Or understand it at least.
They will.
Would you like some more potatoes, Dick?
Er, yes.
Thank you.
HE SNIFFS
So, still nothing from the CIA?
No.
No, they're not exactly
forthcoming with information.
Seems tricky, this relationship
between you and the CIA.
Well, yes, and no.
Really, it just comes down to the
nature of their work.
Mm.
Must be difficult working so closely
with people you don't trust.
CLEARS THROA
I should get going.
- I've got a long flight tomorrow.
- Of course.
Before you do, though, erm
..are you going to tell me
what's happening?
- What's happening?
- I'm a fair man, Dick.
I try to keep things on an even keel,
but don't mistake me for a weak man.
I don't I-I don't know what you mean.
Sneaky phone calls,
barely saying anything.
You're acting like one of my kids,
when they've done something wrong.
HE SIGHS
So tell me - what have the CIA told you?
I can't explain it yet.
OK? But I want you to understand,
that's not my choice.
So you know something
but you won't share it.
That is entirely your choice, Dick.
Well, I hope you
enjoyed our hospitality.
Er, Stuart, wait, wait Wait.
The CIA have instructed me
not to tell you.
Well, I'm sure they have,
but it's not their case, is it?
- It's ours.
- Understand
that if I tell you this and it gets out,
that's my career
it's over.
Then it won't leave this room.
The CIA have an asset
..as we suspected. He's been
..working inside the ESO for years.
The CIA have agreed to give FBI access,
but they don't want us
to share anything with you,
because they're worried it might
compromise his security.
I mean, obviously the ESO would
kill him if they found out.
That's who's been feeding
the CIA those names?
Most likely.
He's being transferred to the
States as we speak.
It's the only way he would talk.
Could he be used as a witness at trial?
I hope so.
You'll share everything?
Everything.
But we have to keep this
between the two of us,
just until it's official.
We have an understanding?
We do.
Good.
What was your role at Luqa Airport
for Libyan Arab Airlines?
I was Assistant Station Manager.
Erm, I made sure everything ran
smooth, checked documents,
helped passengers.
I was also told to look out
for people going to Libya
who should not - dissidents,
enemies of the state.
Who placed you in this role?
Jamahirya Security Organisation.
You call them the ESO.
- Libya's intelligence service?
- Yes.
And who did you report
to at the airport?
My boss was Fhimah,
for most of the time I was there.
Are any of these the man
you're referring to?
That's him.
That's Fhimah.
Was he also placed
in his role by the ESO?
Yeah, he met agents off the planes.
But he stopped working at the
airport August '88.
Why?
He started a travel agency -
another front for the ESO.
Did you see Fhimah
at the airport in December?
Yes, a few times.
Early in December,
I saw him in the customs area,
he met some men off a flight.
Was that allowed, him being there,
having left his job at LAA?
It wasn't unusual to see him around,
even in restricted areas.
Who did he meet off this flight?
Libyan Agents.
Megrahi, and a man they call Masud.
Masud and Megrahi,
what were their roles within the ESO?
Megrahi was Head of Airline Security
and Masud was a technical officer.
A bomb maker?
Bomb makers are part of the
technical department, yes.
Did you ever see Fhimah with a
man called Abdusamad?
No.
I don't know Abdusamad.
Are any of these Megrahi or Masud?
Not Masud. He was very dark
skinned, tall
But that is Megrahi.
What was the reason for this visit?
I was not told the reason.
- Did they have any luggage with them?
- I don't remember.
And this was the last time you saw
Fhimah at the airport in December?
No, I saw Megrahi
and Fhimah again there after that.
Do you remember the date?
Did you see them with suitcases?
HE SIGHS
I don't remember from when he came in,
but later that day, I did see Fhimah
with a suitcase,
he was leaving the customs area.
Do you know if it was inspected?
It was not. He just left with it.
Have a look at these bags,
tell me if any of them
look like the one Fhimah had that day.
It was like this one.
You're sure it was a hard shell
brown suitcase?
Yes.
That's what I saw him with.
Boss, look at this.
DS Gillan noticed a striking similarity
on these embarkation cards.
Megrahi's card from when he arrived
in Malta in early December
is filled out with
the same block capitals
as Abdusamad's later that month.
You're right, very similar.
It looks the exact same to me.
As if it was filled
out by the same person.
We'll need to get these to
a handwriting expert, but I
..I agree.
That's why we haven't been
able to find a photo for Abdusamad.
It's an alias.
He is Megrahi.
All right, Dick, so Megrahi
..flies into Luqa Airport
on December 20th,
flying using a fake passport,
under the name Abdusamad.
And Fhimah flew in on the same flight.
Mm-hm.
And that night, Megrahi
checks into the Holiday Inn
again using the alias Abdusamad.
The next morning,
Megrahi calls Fhimah and
HE SIGHS
..at some point, he packs the suitcase,
using the items he purchased
from Mary's House.
And our working theory
is that Masud then arms the bomb,
he places it in the suitcase -
as we know, he was in Malta,
he flies out with Megrahi
later this day.
And from Fhimah's diaries,
we know that Megrahi asked him
to get luggage tags earlier in December.
But at the airport,
one of these three men,
Fhimah, Megrahi or Masud, must have
put the tags on the suitcase -
the same suitcase Fhimah
was seen carrying on the
20th December by Giaka.
And then Megrahi and Masud check-in
for their flight back to
Tripoli but they check the bomb
on to the Air Malta KM 180 flight
to Frankfurt, using Fhimah's tags
and position to do so.
Fhimah leaves, Megrahi and Masud
board their flight home,
all knowing
..the bomb is on its way to Pan Am 103,
and set to go off in a matter of hours.
What do you think, Dick?
HE SIGHS
I think we got him.