Foreign Secretary William Hague has defended giving refuge to Libyan henchman Moussa Koussa amid claims that the controversial minister may be linked to the Lockerbie bombing and other terrorist atrocities.
Mr Koussa was head of the ESO, the principal Libyan security organisation Photo: PA
Foreign Secretary William Hague said he had not met Moussa Koussa personally since his defection, but had spoken to him briefly.
"I welcomed the fact that he had left the Gaddafi regime, I thought that was the right thing to do," Mr Hague told the BBC's Andrew Marr show.
"I asked him to have discussions with my officials, which is indeed what he is now doing."
Mr Hague admitted allowing Mr Koussa to take refuge in the UK raised "issues", but it had been the "right" thing to do. He stressed the ex-foreign minister would not be offered any immunity from prosecution.
"I think that when someone like that says they want to get out it would be quite wrong to say no, you have got to stay there," he added.
Mr Hague refused to comment on whether Moussa Koussa had been contacting other members of the regime to encourage them to follow his example.
"The Crown Office in Scotland want to talk to him about what has happened in the past, such as Lockerbie," he added. "My officials are discussing with the Crown Office tomorrow how to go about that.
"That is not a bad thing either. We want more information about past events."
Mr Hague denied a report that 600 British troops were gearing up to deploy to Libya, insisting they were actually "preparing for an exercise elsewhere".
But he left the door open to sending special forces on more specific missions, as happened when the UK was trying to evacuate nationals from the country.
Asked about the possibility of arming rebels, Mr Hague insisted there were "no plans" to do so.
But he left the door open by suggesting there was "ambiguity" in the UN resolutions, and it may be permissible to supply weapons in "certain circumstances" so that people could "defend themselves".
Mr Hague said he would be making a statement to parliament on Libya and the Middle East tomorrow.
Scottish prosecutors said on Friday they wanted to interview Libya's former foreign minister about the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.
Official documents released in February as part of Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell's review of the release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi show the pivotal role Koussa played in the Lockerbie bomber's return to Libya. Koussa is described in one Foreign Office email as the man "whom Gaddafi has tasked with securing Megrahi's return".
However, Government sources insist that Moussa Koussa is not being treated as a "defector" and should not be seen as a "suspect" for past Libyan crimes.
Scottish police and prosectutors will meet with Foreign Office officials tomorrow to discuss the situation.
"The Crown Office in Scotland want to talk to him about what has happened in the past, such as Lockerbie," he added. "My officials are discussing with the Crown Office tomorrow how to go about that.
"That is not a bad thing either. We want more information about past events."
Mr Hague denied a report that 600 British troops were gearing up to deploy to Libya, insisting they were actually "preparing for an exercise elsewhere".
But he left the door open to sending special forces on more specific missions, as happened when the UK was trying to evacuate nationals from the country.
Asked about the possibility of arming rebels, Mr Hague insisted there were "no plans" to do so.
But he left the door open by suggesting there was "ambiguity" in the UN resolutions, and it may be permissible to supply weapons in "certain circumstances" so that people could "defend themselves".
Mr Hague said he would be making a statement to parliament on Libya and the Middle East tomorrow.
Scottish prosecutors said on Friday they wanted to interview Libya's former foreign minister about the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.
Official documents released in February as part of Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell's review of the release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi show the pivotal role Koussa played in the Lockerbie bomber's return to Libya. Koussa is described in one Foreign Office email as the man "whom Gaddafi has tasked with securing Megrahi's return".
However, Government sources insist that Moussa Koussa is not being treated as a "defector" and should not be seen as a "suspect" for past Libyan crimes.
Scottish police and prosectutors will meet with Foreign Office officials tomorrow to discuss the situation.
