London (AFP)
Premier League boss Richard Masters to "study closely" Hatice Cengiz, fiancee of journalist murdered in late 2018, blocking plans to block Newcastle United's takeover by Saudi investment fund in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, according to a BBC report on Friday.
Hatice Cengiz wrote to the English League to oppose the deal, while Amnesty International said that the Premier League could become "a scapegoat" if the deal were to come to fruition.
Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor and critic of the Saudi regime after being close to him, was murdered and his body cut to pieces in October 2018 at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul where he went to retrieve a document.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as "MBS" - who heads the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) which leads the consortium applying for the takeover of the Magpies for £ 300 million (EUR 336.5 million) - had been appointed by Turkish and American officials such as the murder sponsor.
"I assure you and your client that your arguments will be taken into account in the context of the redemption procedure," writes Richard Masters in a letter to the lawyers of Hatice Cengiz.
However, according to the BBC report, Mr. Masters refused to meet the latter, which asked the Premier League to take a moral stand on the matter.
In a statement to the BBC, Hatice Cengiz said he was "cautiously optimistic about the Premier League's ability to make the right decision". "I am sure that if the Premier League follows its own rules and charter, it will block the sale of Newcastle United to Mohammed ben Salmane and the public investment fund he chairs."
In a previous letter released on April 28, lawyers for Hatice Cengiz said that rejecting the offer to buy would be a "fair, appropriate and lawful decision": "There should be no room in the Premier League and in English football for someone involved in such heinous acts "as the assassination of Khashoggi, they added.
© 2020 AFP