Saudi company requests US court freeze ex-spy chief's $29m real estate assets
A Saudi state-run company has requested a court in Massachusetts freeze $29m in luxury Boston real estate assets that it says were fraudulently obtained by Riyadh's former spy chief, Saad al-Jabri.
Sakab Saudi Holding Company alleged in a complaint filed
last week that "billions of dollars of assets have been
misappropriated" from the company and its affiliates under Jabri, who the
company claims used "stolen and fraudulently transferred funds to acquire
real property" in Massachusetts.
In addition to requesting the court freeze a number of
properties it says are held by Jabri and his family, the complaint requests a
trial by jury.
The complaint was first reported by Law360, a legal news
service.
Jabri responded to the allegations on Monday, requesting in
a filing that the court dismiss the complaint, claiming it was part of a
campaign to silence him.
"This Action is [Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed] bin
Salman's latest attack in a violent campaign to silence Defendant Dr. Saad
Aljabri ("Dr. Saad"), who poses a threat to bin Salman by virtue of
his close relationships with the former Crown Prince bin Nayef and the United
States Government," the court document read.
The former Saudi intelligence official added that what the
company had referred to as "fraudulent activity" referred to conduct
regarding "Sakab's sensitive operations" that included national
security programmes in partnership with the US government.
Target of MBS
Jabri, who had deep ties with the CIA and had been a key
go-between for western intelligence agencies and the Saudi intelligence
apparatus, worked closely under bin Nayef, who in 2017 was ousted, put under
house arrest, and replaced by his cousin, Mohammed bin Salman, as the country's
crown prince.
He fled the country before the palace coup and landed in
Canada in 2018, where he currently resides.
A source familiar with his situation previously told MEE
that Jabri's loyalty to bin Nayef and his vast knowledge of the kingdom's
powerful interior ministry had made him a target of bin Salman, also known by
his initials MBS.
Since deposing bin Nayef, MBS has centralised power and
targeted any and all perceived foes and potential opponents. He has arrested
several members of the royal family, including Prince Faisal bin Abdullah
al-Saud, a son of the late King Abdullah.
Last year, Jabri filed a lawsuit against MBS, claiming a 50
person hit squad, known as the "Tiger Squad", was sent to kill him in
Canada.
The incident allegedly took place in October 2018 - just two
weeks after the murder of Saudi journalist and Middle East Eye columnist Jamal
Khashoggi.
MEE first reported that after fleeing Riyadh, Jabri was
"chased" by Saudi authorities who were willing "to do anything
to get him back".
Last month, Jabri filed an amended complaint that claimed
both a second assassination attempt on his life was planned by MBS and that
agents working for MBS attempted to lure his daughter into the Saudi consulate
in Istanbul just days before Khashoggi was killed there.
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