The Head of Saudi Arabia’s Forensic Department, Salah Al-Tubaigy, is thought to have cut the body of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 15 minutes, Al-Khaleej Online reported on Friday.
A Turkish security source who spoke to Al Jazeera detailed how Al-Tubaigy, along with an assistance team, pulled Khashoggi’s body into a pre-prepared room inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The source claimed that: “The Saudi anatomy expert Al-Tubaigy started dealing with Khashoggi’s body before his colleagues started packaging the torn pieces,” noting that dismembering the body started immediately after Khashoggi had been killed.
READ: ‘Suspicious’ death of Saudi agent in Khashoggi case, Turkish news says
According to the source, the Turkish forensic team investigating the incident heard recordings from inside the consulate, before entering the facility to examine the crime. This information is believed to prove previous reports by several Turkish newspapers that a hit-team arrived at the Saudi consulate prior to Khashoggi’s visit.
Saudi forensic specialist Salah Al-Tubaigy has been accused by Turkish sources of torturing Khashoggi to death [Twitter]
Al-Tubaigy, a pioneer of mobile anatomy operations, emerged as part of the hit-team believed to have murdered Khashoggi on 2 October. Turkish newspaper the Daily Sabah also published CCTV images of Maher Mutreb, a close friend and bodyguard of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, who is believed to have been the leader of the hit-team.
One of the images shows Mutreb entering the consulate before the other members of the hit-team, at exactly 9.55am on 2 October – just hours before Khashoggi’s entry.
READ: ‘The King ordered Khashoggi’s death and Mohammed bin Salman carried it out’
On Friday, Saudi Arabia announced that Khashoggi died during a fight with Saudi officials inside the consulate and that it had dismissed a number of officials as a result.