- Title: Saudis sent "clean-up" team to Turkey after Khashoggi killing, official says
- Date: 5th November 2018
- Summary: ISTANBUL, TURKEY (OCTOBER 15, 2018) (REUTERS) MAN SAID TO BE KHALED YAHYA AL-ZAHRANI, WEARING PURPLE SHIRT AND WALKING BEHIND FIVE OFFICIALS, ARRIVING TO SAUDI CONSULATE AL-ZAHRANI WALKING TO THE ENTRANCE OF SAUDI CONSULATE IN SLOW MOTION (MUTE) MAN SAID TO BE AHMED ABDULAZIZ AL-JONABI, WEARING BLUE STRIPED SHIRT AND GLASSES, WALKING TO THE ENTRANCE OF CONSULATE MAN SAID TO BE AHMED ABDULAZIZ AL-JONABI WALKING TO THE ENTRANCE IN SLOW MOTION (MUTE) MAN SAID TO BE AL-ZAHRANI READYING TO ENTER CONSULATE AFTER IS OPENED MAN SAID TO BE AL-ZAHRANI READYING TO ENTER CONSULATE IN SLOW MOTION (MUTE) WHITE FLASH MAN SAID TO BE AL-ZAHRANI READYING TO ENTER CONSULATE IN SLOW MOTION (MUTE)
- Embargoed: 19th November 2018 16:18
- Keywords: Saudi Arabia Turkey Saudi journalist Jamal Khaahoggi
- Location: ISTANBUL, TURKEY
- City: ISTANBUL, TURKEY
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Crime
- Reuters ID: LVA001958B3UV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Saudi Arabia sent a two-man "clean-up team" to erase evidence of journalist Jamal Khashoggi's killing a week after he disappeared at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, a Turkish official said on Monday (November 5), calling it a sign top Saudi officials knew of the crime.
Confirming a report in Turkey's pro-government Sabah newspaper, the official said the chemist and toxicologist were tasked with erasing evidence before Turkish investigators were given access to the Saudi consulate and consul's residence.
Sabah identified the two men as Ahmed Abdulaziz al-Jonabi and Khaled Yahya al-Zahrani, saying they arrived in Turkey as part of an 11-person team sent to carry out the inspections with Turkish officials.
Security officials confirmed to Reuters that the men in the photos published by Sabah newspaper were Ahmed Abdulaziz al-Jonabi and Khaled Yahya al-Zahrani.
Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist critical of the Saudi government and its de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, disappeared at the consulate on Oct. 2.
Saudi officials initially insisted Khashoggi had left the consulate, then said he died in an unplanned "rogue operation". The kingdom's public prosecutor Saud al-Mojeb later said he was killed in a premeditated attack.
Turkish and Saudi officials have carried out joint inspections of the consulate and consul's residence in Istanbul, but President Tayyip Erdogan says some Saudi officials are still trying to cover up the crime. Ankara has also demanded Riyadh cooperate in finding Khashoggi's body, which Istanbul's chief prosecutor said had been dismembered.
A senior Turkish official confirmed the names of the men identified on Monday by Sabah. "We believe that the two individuals came to Turkey for the sole purpose of covering up evidence of Jamal Khashoggi's murder before the Turkish police were allowed to search the premises," the official said.
The two individuals carried out clean-up operations at the consulate and the consul's residence in Istanbul until October 17 and left the country three days later, he said.
Saudi Arabia says 18 people have been detained over Khashoggi's killing and the head of its human rights commission told a meeting in Geneva on Monday, Riyadh was investigating the case with a view to prosecuting the perpetrators. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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