Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Lawsuit Against Former Saudi Intelligence Chief : Is There Fire in That Smoke?

"Those interests include Saudi Arabia's criminal investigation and prosecution of a former high-level Saudi official and his co-conspirators for corruption and Saudi Arabia's efforts to locate that former official -- now an international fugitive -- and bring him to justice".

"Although the investigation is ongoing, it is clear that from at least 2008 to 2017, Aljabri masterminded and oversaw a conspiracy incorporating at least 21 conspirators across at least 13 jurisdictions to misappropriate at least [$4.3 billion] from the plaintiffs." 

December 2020 court filing by Saudi interests 

"The threats against the Aljabri family and Saad himself are very real. In my opinion, he holds the keys to Pandora's box for the current Crown Prince. Any secrets they have, business dealings, security issues — it is information I'm sure the current Crown Prince wouldn't want in public."                                                          Alan Treddenick, former senior Canadian Security Intelligence Service officer, Canadian embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia who worked directly with Aljabri on counterterrorism.

"Fortunately for Hissah [Saudi dissident Saad Aljabri's daughter], she never went to the consulate [Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey]. After Jamal Khashoggi entered the very same consulate days later, Hissah learned the fate awaiting her if she had obeyed."

"In all, approximately twenty of Dr. Saad's family, friends, and business associates have been kidnapped by Defendant bin Salman's henchmen and held incommunicado in secret locations without any charges, in blatant violation of both Saudi and international law."

Undoubtedly, Defendant bin Salman changed his tactics in response to the TigerSquad's failed attempts to enter Canada in October 2018. As a result of Defendant bin Salman's directive, the newest stage of a multi-year campaign of execution, Dr. Saad's life remains in dire peril to this day."

"If the allegations ... seem fantastical, that is only because it is difficult to fathom the depths of depravity of Defendant bin Salman and the men he empowered to carry out his will."

"As each of these increasingly coercive steps failed, Defendant bin Salman directed teams to locate, detain, and kill his targets regardless of their country of residence -- even if that meant blatantly violating the sovereignty of other states."

Aljabri lawsuit against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, pictured here with his father King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, is described by many as the Kingdom's de facto ruler. (Saudi Royal Court via Reuters)

 

The ongoing saga of former top chief of intelligence in Saudi Arabia, Saad Aljabri, who sought refuge in Canada after fleeing his native country when a palace coup led to his former ally, Mohammed bin Nayef, then-heir to the Saudi throne for whom he worked being placed under house arrest with the ascension of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud's son Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman becomes more bizarre and confounding as accusations fly back and forth.

A consortium of Saudi companies linked to the Crown Prince have posed a lawsuit against the former high-ranking intelligence officer, claiming he absconded with four-and-a-half billion of Saudi treasury funds, a gross extortion enterprise that enriched himself and his family and friends, while defrauding the companies and Saudi Arabia. Dr. Saad denies any such criminal action on his part, insisting that because of his insider knowledge of the Kingdom the Crown Prince sees him as a threat.

Saad Aljabri,  (Submitted by Aljabri family)

Since his departure from Saudi Arabia and refuge in Canada in 2017, pressure has been exerted on Dr.Saad to return to Saudi Arabia, which he consistently refuses to do. Most of his family left the country when he did, but for two of his children who were not permitted to leave, since arrested and being held somewhere in a secret location the family has no knowledge of. While Saad Aljabri filed suit against MbS in the U.S., a suit was recently filed in Ontario against the Aljabris.

 

In their Washington D.C. court filing additional details were added recently which include the charge that Aljabri's daughter was scheduled for murder when operatives attempted to lure her to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul where two days later journalist Jamal Khashoggi, another critic of the Kingdom had been murdered. The documents bring detail to the pressure campaign the Aljabri family faces to force their father to return to the Kingdom.

Hissah may have eluded murder at the Saudi consulate but her husband Salem Almuzaini was kidnapped in Dubai in September 2017 and tortured. "They brutally beat his feet with a metal bar hundreds of times, turning his feet black and blue, splitting open his skin, and creating a river of blood flowing down his legs", claims the lawsuit. The man was released a year later then vanished again in 2020. 

 

Another issue mentioned in the lawsuit was that of 50 operatives with "a variety of experience and expertise relevant to locating and executing a target and covering up the murder" being tasked to enter Canada for the purpose of dispatching Aljabri. When they were turned back by Canada Border agents, another plan was ostensibly hatched. This time to have the would-be assassins travel to the U.S. to cross into Canada by land to achieve their purpose.

The latest twist is that in responding to the Saudi lawsuit for embezzlement against Saad Aljabri in Ontario, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice now issued an order to freeze Saad Aljabri's assets, luxury properties, and bank accounts in Europe, Malta, the British Virgin Islands, the United States and Canada — including his $13-million mansion in Toronto.

 

This $13-million house on Toronto's Bridle Path is the home of Saad Aljabri. An Ontario court has issued an order freezing Aljabri's assets, including the house, as part of an ongoing lawsuit filed by companies representing the current Saudi regime. They allege Aljabri embezzled more than $4 billion.. (CBC News)

"There is overwhelming evidence of fraud that has been presented to court. In response, I have an affidavit from [Aljabri's] son, which is more of a political treatise than any concrete response to the serious allegations raised."

"The Deloitte report and the affidavits and exhibits filed demonstrate that Aljabri used fraudulent means to divert funds that rightfully belonged to the plaintiffs and the Plaintiffs suffered a loss from that conduct."  

Superior Court of Ontario Justice Cory Gilmore

Oh, and there are also these little factoids mentioned in the documents included in the U.S. lawsuit, that the Crown Prince's Tiger Squad (execution contingent) has been at work kidnapping Saudis in Europe ... including Prince Saud bin Saif Alnasr from France in 2 015, and Prince Sultan bin Turki II, from France a year later, as well as abduction and torture of Sulaiman Aldoweesh, dissident religious cleric, from Mecca. In Germany, Prince Khaled bin Farhan al Saud was kidnapped. Iyad Elbaghdad, a critic of the Kingdom is under government protection in Norway.

 

A thick Byzantine stew of charges and conflict and counter-charges. All of which may well be true, on either side; a compelling inside view of issues within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and exported globally. It's dangerous to be a Saudi, dissatisfied and disloyal to the Kingdom. But then, on the other hand, Russian dissidents have it no better, nor do those coming out of China.