FBI DIRECTOR’S SCOTTISH ATTACK REJECTED.

FBI DIRECTOR’S SCOTTISH ATTACK REJECTED.

SCOTLAND'S LEGAL SYSTEM CAN HOLD ITS HEAD HIGH,

SNP MSP Michael Matheson today welcomed Henry McLeish’s comments on BBC radio this morning in which he described the comments of FBI Director Robert Mueller as a “slur on Scottish Justice which we did not deserve” and a rejection by Lord Fraser of Carmyle of the Director's attack on Scotland's legal system.

Mr McLeish repeated his belief that Kenny MacAskill made “the right decision made for the right reasons”.

Lord Fraser of Carmyle who brought the original case against Megrahi rejected the claim that Scotland is “pro-terrorist” saying “We are not, and he knows that from his regular visits to Edinburgh.”

Mr Matheson said;

“Robert Mueller’s comments yesterday were as Henry McLeish said both ill-informed and unjustified.

“The intervention of Henry McLeish and Lord Fraser to reject these comments is welcome.

"Scots across the country know that Mr Mueller's comments were an entirely inappropriate attack on our justice system.

“This decision was made in the right way for the right reasons and has upheld the principles of our legal system.

“Henry McLeish’s call for Scots to recognise that we have a Justice system that can hold it’s head high around the world in the face of what is improper criticism is one all MSPs should endorse - rather than seeking to attack the institutions and principles we are elected to defend."

More information.

1.Lord Fraser’s comments can be found at;

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2009/08/24/newsstory13666348t0.asp

and

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0824/breaking21.htm

2. On Good Morning Scotland this morning and on BBC News Former First Minister Henry McLeish stated;
“I think the point is that, if you look at the issue within the context of the criminal justice system, the independent legal system that we have, this is probably the right decision made for the right reasons, and I think that’s one of the issues. I think there’s been a lot of debate, a lot of emotion, a lot of party politics, a lot of personality-attacking..”

“But I would like to stress this issue – let’s keep in perspective what the Americans are saying and, for example, I don’t think we should be always personalising things, but the intervention of the director of the FBI was totally out of order. It’d be the equivalent of the Met chief writing to Barack Obama to complain about a decision that was made… And secondly, let’s as Scots, despite the adversity, be conscious that it is Scotland and our criminal justice system holds its head high throughout the world, and it doesn’t help if some ill-informed remarks are made by the director of the FBI towards that when it’s, quite frankly, none of his business. He has a view, fine, but that was a slur on the Scottish criminal justice system that we didn’t deserve as part of this wider debate. “