The chairman of Newcastle is being sued for £58 million for allegedly following harmful instructions.

According to reports, Yasir al-Rumayyan, the chairman of Newcastle United, is being sued for £58m due to allegations of following the orders of Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammad bin Salman with ill intent.

According to reports, legal documents have been sent to Yasir Al-Rumayyan at multiple locations, including St James’ Park, accusing him of intentionally causing harm and attempting to silence and ruin the family of Dr Saad Aljabri, the former intelligence chief of Saudi Arabia. The Athletic has stated that the papers are seeking to add Rumayyan, who is also the chairman of LIV Golf, to an ongoing case, as well as bring new charges against him and others involved.

The people making the accusations also claim that Rumayyan played a direct role in a 3.5-year effort from June 2017 to January 2021 to target the family of Aljabri, who used to be a high-ranking advisor to Prince Mohammed bin Nayef.

In 2017, Prince Mohammed [bin Salman] removed Nayef from his position as heir to the Saudi throne. Since 2020, Nayef has been held in custody. Seven years ago, Aljabri fled the kingdom and now resides in Canada. If the Canadian courts allow the case to proceed, it is said that the Aljabri family will seek £58m in compensation.

Rumayyan currently holds the position of governor at the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, which is the state’s sovereign wealth fund. In October 2021, the PIF acquired an 80% ownership of Newcastle. This acquisition was only approved by the Premier League after receiving “legally binding assurances” from the kingdom that they would not have control over the club.

Last year, the Saudis contended that Rumayyan and PIF should not have to provide evidence in a LIV Golf Series legal case against the PGA Tour because of laws regarding sovereign immunity.

Newcastle has stated that any inquiries about this issue should be directed to PIF, who, along with the Saudi government, have been asked for their response.

Source: theguardian.com