Saudi officials burned evidence in the garden of their Istanbul consulate the day after Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside, according to video obtained by a Turkish TV channel.
A Haber channel published footage of three men in suits putting papers into a burning mental barrel and claimed they were destroying documents relating to the journalist’s death.
The TV anchor can be heard saying: “This is an archaic way to destroy documents. They don’t even use a document shredder. It is likely that they would like to completely destroy every evidence related to Khashoggi.”
Twitter users speculated the video was taken by a Turkish spy drone. The Turkish government has not commented on the footage.
BREAKING — Turkish TV @tvahaber broadcasts images showing Saudi Consulate staff in Istanbul are burning documents one day after #Khashoggi murder pic.twitter.com/eeoDiCsn12
— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) October 22, 2018
It comes as Turkish police looking for Khashoggi’s body swarmed an underground car park in Istanbul today after finding a car belonging to the Saudi consulate.
Officers found the black Mercedes Benz with diplomatic plates parked in the Sultangazi district of the city and said they would start a forensic search.
Turkish media broadcast pictures of the parked car as well a man who parked it a few days after Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate on 2 October.
After weeks of denying any knowledge of his death, the Saudi government admitted the Washington Post journalist had died but claimed he was killed in a fist fight.
Turkish media and officials say the 59-year-old was attacked by a 15-man Saudi team that pulled off his fingers one by one, strangled him to death over eight minutes and dismembered his body.
Earlier today, CCTV images emerged showing a Saudi intelligence officer dressed in a fake beard and Jamal Khashoggi’s clothes and glasses on the day the journalist disappeared.
The man was captured on surveillance cameras leaving the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and walking around the city on October 2.
He is said to have been part of the 15-man Saudi team wanted for questioning over the death of journalist Khashoggi. The footage is believed to have been taken just hours after the writer was last seen alive entering the embassy.
President Trump continues to back the Saudi line on the murder.
Trump helped float the now discredited theory of “rogue killers” that had murdered the American resident.
Khashoggi was a journalist, and Trump’s history with journalists has been marred by occasional references to violence and regular allusions to “fake news” media being the “enemy of the American people.”
Trump also has a reason to defend Saudi Arabia for business reasons. By his own admission, he’s done millions and millions of dollars worth of business there.
Son-in-law Jared Kushner also has a massive amount of business dealings in Saudi Arabia. In fact, the United States has no ambassador accredited in Riyadh. Instead, the relationship is in the hands of Kushner, which in itself could be a massive financial conflict.
Trump registered eight companies during his presidential campaign that were tied to hotel interests in Saudi Arabia.