If you need a brief review of the case surrounding Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi, here we go. He’s the Lockerbie bomber, responsible for killing 270 innocent people, mostly Americans. He was recently freed by the Scottish government after just eight years in prison. The excuse for his release was that he was dying of cancer and had just three months to live. Compassionate grounds, as we were told.

He returned to Libya and was greeted as a hero. Large crowds, including the son of the country’s dictator, cheered as he walked down the steps from the plane. They were clearly celebrating a mass-murdering terrorist who killed innocent people. Most of the world was disgusted.

Then we learned he might not have had cancer after all. The main expert who concluded he only had three months to live reportedly was paid for by the Libyan government. There were leaked documents indicating that the Scottish government decided to release al-Megrahi in exchange for oil deals in Libya. And finally we learned he was still alive and seemingly doing well, more than three months after his release.

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(Whew)

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Well, guess what? al-Megrahi is apparently missing. Yes, missing.

Mystery surrounded the Lockerbie bomber last night after he could not be reached at his home or in hospital.

Libyan officials could say nothing about the whereabouts of Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi, and his Scottish monitors could not contact him by telephone. They will try again to speak to him today but if they fail to reach him, the Scottish government could face a new crisis.

Under the terms of his release from jail, the bomber cannot change his address or leave Tripoli, and must keep in regular communication with East Renfrewshire Council.

Why would he keep his word? He’s a mass-murdering terrorist back on his home soil. Barring a full-scale invasion of Libya, he’s staying where he wants in the country under the terms he wants. Regardless of what he promised Scotland.

On Sunday evening The Times called at the bomber’s home in suburban Tripoli. A policeman sitting on a plastic chair outside was asked to deliver a message to al-Megrahi. He spoke no English, but indicated that al-Megrahi was not there.

The next day The Times visited the Tripoli Medical Centre where alMegrahi was treated soon after his return to Libya. The receptionists said he had left the hospital some time ago.

Back at al-Megrahi’s home, there was no sign of activity. One of three security officers sitting in a grey Mercedes car outside said: “They’ve all gone.” He refused to elaborate.

Alerted by The Times, Jonathan Hinds, of East Renfrewshire Council, tried to telephone al-Megrahi at his home yesterday. He spoke to a Libyan man who said al-Megrahi was too ill to speak to him…

Mr Hinds has called al-Megrahi every other Tuesday since August, and has always been able to speak to him. Yesterday was not one of the regular Tuesdays, so al-Megrahi would not have been expecting a call.

They’re going to keep trying to contact him tomorrow. And then? They’ll notify the Scottish government, which can likely do nothing at all.