Al Megrahi says West exaggerated his role

London: Two years ago he was freed from a British prison because he supposedly had only months to live. Little over a month ago he was "at death's door", comatose and being kept alive with oxygen and an intravenous drip.

But yesterday Lockerbie bomber Abdul Basit Al Megrahi, the only man convicted of blowing up Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland and killing 270 people, was again well enough to protest his innocence.

The former Libyan intelligence officer, who is suffering from prostate cancer, claimed his role in the 1988 attack had been "exaggerated". Al Megrahi has consistently denied involvement in the atrocity thought to be motivated by tensions between Libya and the US that brought down the London to New York flight, killing all 259 on board as well as 11 on the ground.

He said: "The West exaggerated my name. The facts will become clear one day and hopefully in the near future. In a few months from now, you will see new facts that will be announced."

When filmed at the family's Tripoli villa five weeks ago, a gaunt Al Megrahi was wearing an oxygen mask and attached to a drip. His family had to speak on his behalf as he lay unconscious.

But yesterday he was able to speak for himself. He had more colour in his cheeks, though still looked frail, as he said: "Please leave me alone. I only have a few more days, weeks or months."

An oxygen tank was among the medical equipment surrounding his bed but the Libyan did not use an oxygen mask during his interview with news agency.

Reclining on a cushion featuring a brightly coloured picture from the children's cartoon Pokemon, Al Megrahi described the trial held under Scottish jurisdiction in Camp Zeist, a Dutch court that led to his conviction as a farce.