ISTANBUL: “Certain evidence” of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder has been found by police searching the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, a high-level Turkish official told the Associated Press on Tuesday.
Turkish investigators were on Monday entered the Saudi consulate for the first time 13 after the journalist Khashoggi disappeared.
The team, which arrived in a motorcade of six cars late Monday, left the premises in the early hours of Tuesday after an eight-hour search, an AFP correspondent said.
They took samples with them, including soil from the consulate garden that was loaded into vans, one official at the scene said.
Turkish investigators also use ultra-violet forensic equipment to search the consulate building for evidence.
[also_read url=”https://www.siasat.com/news/missing-journalist-might-have-killed-because-he-knew-about-royal-familys-corruption-friend-jamal-khashoggi-1421122/”]Missing journalist might have killed because he knew about royal family’s corruption: Friend of Jamal Khashoggi[/also_read]
Khashoggi, a Saudi national and US resident who became increasingly critical of powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has not been seen since he walked into the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate to sort out marriage paperwork on October 2.
Turkish officials have said they believe Khashoggi was killed — a claim Saudi Arabia has denied — with the controversy dealing a huge blow to the kingdom’s image and efforts by its youthful crown prince to showcase a reform drive.
[also_read url=”https://www.siasat.com/news/erdogan-investigators-found-consulate-materials-painted-over-1421120/”]Erdogan: Investigators found consulate materials painted over[/also_read]
With AFP inputs