Photo: Hajja Fatma, Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi’s mother, speaking to The Tripoli Post during an exclusive interview with the family, Thursday 13 August 2009.

Tripoli— Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, the Libyan citizen imprisoned for 27 years in a Scottish jail, has called his mother on Wednesday telling her that he hoped to be with her by Ramadan.

The Tripoli Post learned on Thursday during an interview with Megrahi’s Mother and his elder brother that Abdelbaset Ali made a phone call to his mother from his cell in Greenock Prison and said "I hope by Ramadan I will be with you."

Al-Megrahi added on the phone that he was not officially informed of his release, according to his family.

When asked about her feelings that her son may be coming home soon, the 95-year old frail but upbeat Hajja Fatma said "I do not close the house’s door at all. I am expecting him to enter at any moment."

Hajja Fatma has not been informed by the family of her son's terminal illness out of fear that it would cause her much harm at such an old age. Al-Megrahi's mother will only realize the situation when she sees him.

However, she does look healthy and very upbeat but she is in a frail physical condition and has hypertension. Her family decided it would be better for her health if she was not exposed to all the facts.

With tears in her eyes, Hajja Fatma described how she would meet her son after serving over ten years in prison in England when he arrives: “I would run out to the street and hug him so tight,”

When asked about his innocence as far as the Lockerbie bombing is concerned and what would she tell the PanAm’s victims’ relatives, Hajja Fatma said with deep resolve “We told them that my son was innocent, that he would not slaughter a chicken at home and that he would not have caused the disaster of Lockerbie."

"Eleven years I did not spend the holy month of Ramadan with him, I am waiting for that day when he comes back," she added.

News agencies reported on Wednesday night that Al-Megrahi had prostate cancer and he was to be freed from a British jail on compassionate grounds.

On Tuesday, a Libyan Government delegation met Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill for final discussions and release arrangements of Al-Megrahi.

The six-strong delegation later went to Greenock Prison where it met Al-Megrahi, who is unjustly serving a 27-year sentence.

According to news reports, Al-Megrahi is suffering from terminal prostate cancer and it is not known if he will survive the lengthy legal process.

Al-Megrahi has always wanted to clear his name through the appeal which began in April this year. He lost his first appeal on 14 March 2002. Since he was first indicted in the Lockerbie affair in November 1991 by Washington and London, he remained steadfast of his innocence.