Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a television interview that he takes "full responsibility" for the grisly killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but he denied allegations that he ordered it.
"This was a heinous crime," Prince Mohammed, 34, told 60 Minutes in an interview that aired on Sunday. "But I take full responsibility as a leader in Saudi Arabia, especially since it was committed by individuals working for the Saudi government."
Asked if he ordered the killing of Khashoggi, who had criticised him in columns for The Washington Post, Prince Mohammed replied: "Absolutely not."
![Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, pictured in December 2014, was killed on October 2, 2018 when he went to the Saudi consulate in Turkey. Photo / AP](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/FZBM7ZYCBXXE7G42H3XQFGKP5A.jpg?auth=1dd54a02e4274ce3ecc9bc95908a04c313bc17fba984eb37b2642dd16901c57c&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)
The slaying was "a mistake," he said.