Egypt’s leader faults media coverage of Khashoggi slaying

CAIRO – Egypt’s president says media coverage played a “negative role” in the case of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed in the Saudi consulate in Turkey last month.

Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi told reporters Tuesday “we need to stop and wait for the relevant authorities and judicial bodies (in Saudi Arabia) to announce the outcome of the investigations.”

Saudi authorities denied any knowledge of Khashoggi’s whereabouts for weeks before acknowledging he was killed inside the consulate by Saudi agents. That acknowledgement came after Turkish media reported that the Washington Post columnist had been killed and dismembered by a Saudi hit squad. His body has yet to be recovered.

Saudi Arabia has given Egypt billions of dollars in aid in recent years.