The CIA is in possession of a phone recording of Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman in which he gave orders to 'silence Jamal Khashoggi as soon as possible', a report by Turkish news website Hurriyet Daily News says.
During her trip to Ankara in October, CIA director Gina Haspel had hinted at the existence of a tapped phone call between Prince Mohammed and his brother Khaled bin Salman, the Saudi envoy to the United States, the report says.
In the phone recording, the two could be heard discussing how they have been facing public criticism from Khashoggi over the country's governance.
Khashoggi was a contributor to the Washington Post and a critic of Prince Mohammed. He was killed on October 2 in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Saudi Arabia had denied any role in the murder for weeks, but finally admitted that Khashoggi had been murdered inside its Istanbul consulate. However, it continued claiming that the royal family had no role in the murder.
Before he was killed, Khashoggi was forced by his killers, close aides of Prince Mohammed, to send a message to his son held in Saudi Arabia, failing which he "would be brought to that country". Khashoggi rejected the demand, ensuing in a quarrel and his subsequent killing.
While charging 11 suspects, the public prosecutor of Saudi Arabia on November 15 had urged the death penalty for five Saudi officials.