Washington: Shortly after Jamal Khashoggi was murdered, a member of a Saudi assassination squad is said to have phoned a superior and told him “tell your boss” their mission had been accomplished.
The New York Times, while citing three people familiar with a recording of Khashoggi’s killing collected by Turkish intelligence, said while he was not mentioned by name, US officials believe “your boss” was a reference to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The recording is viewed by the US intelligence officials as some of the strongest evidence yet linking bin Salman to the murder.
According to sources, the phone call was made by Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, one of 15 Saudis sent to Istanbul to target Khashoggi. Mutreb is a security officer who frequently travels with the crown prince.
Turkish intelligence officers believe the call was made to one of bin Salman’s close aides. Though the audio recording does not conclusively implicate Crown Prince, analysts say it’s an important clue. However, Saudi officials denied that the crown prince had any knowledge of Khashoggi’s killing.
Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist, disappeared since he entered Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to obtain documentation certifying he divorced his ex-wife so he could remarry.