Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond has insisted BP did not lobby the Scottish government “in any sense whatsoever” to persuade the administration to free the Lockerbie bomber last year.

The leader of Scotland’s devolved government made the comments as British Prime Minister David Cameron was trying to stop a row over the release of the bomber overshadowing his debut White House talks with US President Barack Obama.

“BP did not lobby the Scottish government in any way, in any sense whatsoever,” Salmond told BBC television late Tuesday.