US Judge Signals January Trial Start for Libyan Charged in Pan Am 103 Bombing

A US federal judge is aiming to begin jury selection on Jan. 19 in the trial of a former Libyan intelligence official charged in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, putting the long-delayed case on track for a January start.

The defendant, Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi, had been scheduled to face trial on Aug. 26, but US District Judge Dabney Friedrich postponed the proceedings to give defense attorneys more time to review newly discovered evidence. The judge indicated she wants to confirm the availability of prospective jurors before fixing a firm date.

Court filings have not described the nature of the new evidence, and during a pretrial hearing on Tuesday the judge and attorneys were careful not to disclose any details.

Flight 103 was cruising at 31,000 feet over Lockerbie, Scotland, when a bomb planted in the forward cargo area exploded 38 minutes after the New York-bound plane departed London Heathrow Airport on Dec. 21, 1988. All 259 passengers and crew members were killed, along with 11 people on the ground in Lockerbie.

Al-Marimi is accused of constructing the bomb that brought down the aircraft. Prosecutors allege that he and others carried out the attack at the direction of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, who was ousted and killed during a 2011 civil war.

Now in his mid-70s, Al-Marimi faces two counts of destruction of an aircraft resulting in death. If convicted, he could be sentenced to a maximum of life in prison.

Defense attorney Laura Koenig said the defense will need to question new witnesses and present additional expert testimony in response to the newly disclosed evidence.

The trial is expected to last about two months.