Donald Trump part of 'cover-up' in killing of Jamal Khashoggi, says Hillary Clinton

Washington: Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton accused US President Donald Trump of being complicit in hiding the truth about the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. “We have a president who is part of the cover-up as to what happened in that consulate or embassy when Khashoggi was murdered,” Sputnik quoted Clinton as saying during a speech in Toronto. [caption id=“attachment_4134703” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Hillary Clinton. Reuters[/caption] She also suggested that Trump and “those closest to him” have their “own personal commercial interest” in concealing the incident around Khashoggi’s murder. President Trump came under fire for suggesting on 20 November that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman “had knowledge” about Khashoggi’s murder and saying that the US would remain a strategic partner for the Riyadh despite the ongoing scandal. He noted that it would be ‘foolish’ to terminate weapons exports contracts with the kingdom, a move mulled by Congress ever since it became known that Khashoggi had been murdered.

 Saudi officials denied involvement of the royal family, specifically of the crown prince in Khashoggi’s killing. Riyadh insists that he was murdered as a result of a ‘rogue operation’. The Saudi Prosecutor’s Office announced that in total, some 21 individuals were arrested following the investigation of the murder, with 11 of them already facing charges. Five of those charged face the death penalty if they are found guilty of the charges.

Saudi columnist for The Washington Post Jamal Khashoggi was murdered inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on 2 October. His body was dismembered and still hasn’t been found.

Turkish investigators claim that a group of 15 perpetrators, who arrived in Istanbul not long before the incident, was responsible for the killing. Turkey also shared audio evidence of the murder with several Western states, including the US.