Letter: Film maker is not a 'hoaxer'

NICK COHEN'S 'Film claims stir Lockerbie row' (6 February) gave a one-sided view of the position of Alan Francovich and misrepresents my position. Your reporter spoke to the Cohen family and to Lee Kreindler. I was the only relative he spoke to in this country.

It is not true that Mr Francovich 'arrived at my home exuding an apparently genuine air of sympathy'. He wrote to me concerning his project, and trusted advisers on media matters told me he had a fine record as a producer of television documentaries covering international government wrongdoing. This did not sound like 'a nut or a hoaxer'. I viewed his products on video and interviewed him. Next I arranged for others in the UK group to meet him. They wanted him to continue to search for the truth.

Your reporter misrepresents me in alleging that a

December 1993 Guardian article quoted me as saying 'I had good reason to believe Coleman's drug theories'. In fact I said I had good reason to believe that covert drug operations had continued at Frankfurt till at least 1990. The Guardian accurately reported this. I have not accepted the theory that this route was used to bomb the Lockerbie flight: if I had evidence to support this it would go direct to those involved in the criminal investigation, not to the media.

I may be wrong about Mr Francovich, but I have done my best to marshall the facts. His career will stand or fall on this project. I believe the tears he shed over my daughter's grave were shed for the cruel suffering of innocent people. I suggest we give him a chance to see what he can do.

Jim Swire

Bromsgrove, Worcs