The CIA has uncovered a recording of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman giving instructions to "silence Jamal Khashoggi as soon as possible," according to Turkey's Hurriyet Daily News.
Khashoggi is said to have been strangled before his body was cut up and dissolved in acid after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2.
Saudi Arabia has claimed that his death was the result of a fight, but Turkish authorities believe that he was tortured and dismembered.
The news outlet cited a prominent Turkish columnist as saying CIA director Gina Haspel had "signaled" the existence of the recording during a visit to Ankara last month.
The Crown Prince and his brother Khaled - Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the US - are reportedly heard discussing the "discomfort" created by Khashoggi's public criticism of the kingdom's administration.
Khashoggi, who wrote for The Washington Post, was a vocal critic of Prince Mohammed.
It comes after the journalist can be heard shouting at his killers to release him in a chilling audio of his murder.
The 59-year-old dissident, who lived in the US and was highly critical of the current regime, is called a "traitor" and told that he will "be held to account", according to reports.
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, told state media on Tuesday that the CIA's claims that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country's de facto ruler, gave the order to kill Mr. Khashoggi were false.
Riyadh had offered numerous contradictory explanations for Mr. Khashoggi's disappearance before claiming he was killed and dismembered when "negotiations" to convince him to return to Saudi Arabia failed.
They claim they have no prior knowledge of the plot to kill the journalist.
The newspaper also reports: “The hit squad, which was composed of close aides of Crown Prince Mohammed, told Khashoggi to send a message to his son, otherwise he ‘would be brought to Saudi Arabia.’ Khashoggi ejected it, which led to the quarrel that ended with his killing by strangulation with a rope or plastic bag."
Meanwhile, Donald Trump said yesterday he would not further punish Saudi Arabia for the murder.
Defying intense pressure from U.S. lawmakers to impose tougher sanctions on Saudi Arabia, Trump also said he would not cancel military contracts with the kingdom. He said it would be a “foolish†move that would only benefit Russia and China, competitors of the United States in the arms market.
Trump stressed Saudi Arabia’s weapons purchases and its role in keeping world oil prices low as influencing his decision.
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