Are they covering tracks up? Twitter abuzz after footage of “cleaners” entering Saudi consulate
A video of people with mops and buckets, entering the Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul hours before investigators of Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance were to go there has prompted concerns and speculations.
The footage showed two women and a man delivering cleaning gear through the front door of the Saudi diplomatic mission under the supervision of a guard.
They entered the building on the day when a team of investigators, put together by Ankara and Riyadh, were to search the consulate where Turkish authorities claim Saudi dissident journalist was killed.
Cuz the way to preserve the integrity of a possible crime scene and bolster confidence in the investigation is to bring in a bunch of cleaners through the front door before the detectives arrive pic.twitter.com/p9oKfPCArF
— Borzou Daragahi 🖊🗒 (@borzou) October 15, 2018
Khashoggi, who blasted the Saudi regime in his columns for the Washington Post, was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to obtain documents for his upcoming marriage.
READ MORE: Riyadh threatens retaliation for 'actions' against it over missing journalist
The footage of cleaners prompted speculations and jokes that they were called in to the consulate to remove any remaining evidence from the crime scene.
Clean up on aisle murder? Yikes
— StarsShine (@Kingsfordcoals) October 15, 2018
— #عاشوراء انتصار المظلوم (@gladiat09968405) October 15, 2018
Oh that's not suspicious at all. Saudi's couldn't make it more obvious they murdered the man, and they couldn't care less about the optics. They're literally walking the cleaners in the front door.
— Selina S (@Seli_Sanchez) October 15, 2018
Keep an eye out for this guy pic.twitter.com/sz8QpqBp3B
— Nelson Hansen (@NelsonHansen64) October 15, 2018
Don't they need a vacuum cleaner for the bone fragments?
— TropicalDrinksForEveryone! (@dogswuvwabbits) October 15, 2018
Unreal....corruption and covering up a crime in broad daylight.
— RoxieRoller (@roxie23583546) October 15, 2018
Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said that he was personally overseeing the investigation into the investigation of Khashoggi’s disappearance and insisted that the journalist never left the Saudi consulate.
Turkish officials and police sources claimed that Khashoggi turned the recording feature on his Apple Watch when entering the consulate and filmed everything inside. Ankara reportedly has evidence that the dissident was murdered and dismembered inside the building by a 15-person Saudi team of assassins. According to other claims, acid was used to dissolve his body after the killing.
What are you trying to say? Are they here to clean the blood ? Or it is just a routine? Do you think the Saudis will trust the Turkish maids to clean the blood “Come here Habibi, here’s 2 million lira ($20) and keep your mouth shot” You are really dumb
— Marshmello (@lollapalooza30) October 15, 2018
The disappearance caused tension between usual allies Washington and Riyadh, with Donald Trump promising severe punishment for Saudi Arabia if an assassination is proven.
READ MORE: 'Rogue killers' might have killed Saudi journalist - Trump
However, on Monday, the US leader came up with a milder statement on the matter, saying that some “rogue killers” could’ve been responsible for the crime, citing King Salman of Saudi Arabia’s “firm” denial that Riyadh had anything to do with Khashoggi disappearance.
They were rogue cleaners. There's nothing any consulate or embassy can do to stop them.
— Airbag Moments (@airbagmoments) October 15, 2018
Trumpy boy will say to clean the crime scene up before the investigation is just business as usual, you don't want blood stains getting one way of evidence.
— lucyD (@IGierzak) October 15, 2018
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