A 'body double' resembling writer Jamal Khashoggi was dressed in the writer's clothes and strolled the streets of Istanbul in part of an elaborate attempt to cover up his death, Turkish officials said Monday.
Turkey released surveillance footage showing what was believed to be the imposter wearing Khashoggi’s clothes, glasses and a fake beard walking the streets shortly after the writer was killed inside the Saudi consulate, the Washington Post reported.
The look-alike -- identified in reports as Mustafa al-Madani -- was spotted because he wore shoes of a different color than the pair worn by Khashoggi, who was 59. Khashoggi entered the consulate on Oct. 2 to obtain documents for his pending marriage to his fiancé.
Al-Madani’s Facebook profile lists him as an engineer, the paper reported.
The video puts more pressure on the Saudi officials to explain what happened to the writer, who was a vocal critic of the government. Khashoggi had been living in a self-imposed exile in Virginia and worked as a columnist for the Post.
The Saudi government said Saturday that Khashoggi was accidentally strangled during a brawl that broke when Saudi agents tried to persuade him to return to Saudi Arabia, the New York Times reported.
On Monday, President Trump said he was “not satisfied with what I’ve heard” regarding the explanation of his killing.
Saudi officials acknowledge a team of 15 agents traveled to Turkey on Oct. 2 to get Khashoggi. Turkish officials have said audio recordings show that the team moved to kill and dismember him within minutes of entering the consulate.
His unexplained death has prompted many to criticize the Saudi Kingdom and its ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin met with the prince in Riyadh on Monday.
The two discussed sanctions on Iran, the Saudi economy and combating terrorism.
The outrage over Saudi Arabia’s perceived involvement in Khashoggi’s death has prompted several business leaders and media companies to boycott an investment conference in Saudi Arabia next week.
Some U.S. lawmakers have urged the president to cancel military aid to the Kingdom.