As four US senators press for a State Department probe into whether oil giant BP played a role in winning last year’s release of the man convicted of the Lockerbie airliner bombing, local families who lost loved ones in the downing of Pan Am 103 suggest they knew this controversy was coming.

The request to secretary of state Hillary Clinton came a day after the same senators asked her to press the British government to look into the circumstances surrounding the release of the convicted bomber, Abdel Baset al-Megrahi.

In the second letter, the four Democrats from New Jersey and New York said they were concerned that BP may have put profits ahead of justice in the al-Megrahi case, given the petroleum giant’s current handling of the Gulf oil spill.

KYW’s David Madden reports that Bob Monetti, whose son Rick perished on Pan Am Flight 103 (above), has no doubts about BP’s interest and possible role in the release of al-Megrahi:

“It has nothing to do with compassion. It has nothing to do with justice. It has to do with business and business rules.”

Diane Maslowski was also killed in the bombing.  Her father, Stan, had a veiled threat for her killer:

“Megrahi should look over his shoulder as often as he can, wherever he can. He may be in for a surprise.”

Both men also express disappointment with Scottish officials who set Megrahi free in the first place.

Additional Coverage from AP