Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Council of Ministers on Tuesday emphasized that the Kingdom will hold to account all those responsible for the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and those who failed in their duties, whoever they are.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman chaired the weekly session of the Cabinet at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh.

In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session, Minister of Media Awwad Al-Awwad said the Cabinet underscored that Saudi Arabia was founded on an approach derived from the tolerant Islamic Shariah whose provisions are based on the realization of truth as well as the establishment and consolidation of the foundations and values of justice.

The Cabinet stressed that the royal directives and measures taken after the unfortunate incident that claimed the life of Saudi citizen Jamal Khashoggi by the Kingdom to uncover the truth and to hold to account those responsible for it, whoever they are, showed the keenness of the wise leadership and its concern for the safety and security of all citizens.

Al-Awwad said the Cabinet lauded the directive of King Salman to set up a ministerial committee, headed by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, to restructure the Presidency of General Intelligence, modernize its regulations and define its powers in a precise manner, in order to ensure its proper functioning and determine its responsibilities.

Earlier in Jakarta, Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir reaffirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to a “comprehensive investigation” into Khashoggi’s killing.

The killing of Khashoggi is something that must “never happen again”, Jubeir said as he pledged a “thorough and complete” investigation into the journalist’s death.

“I express the commitment (of the government)...to see to it that the investigation is thorough and complete and that the truth is revealed and those responsible will be held to account,” he told reporters after meeting with his Indonesian counterpart in Jakarta.

“And that mechanism and procedures are put in place to ensure that something like this can never happen again.”