US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin should cancel his trip to Saudi Arabia this month until Riyadh provides answers regarding the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, US Congressman Jim Banks said in a statement on Friday.
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th October, 2018) US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin should cancel his trip to Saudi Arabia this month until Riyadh provides answers regarding the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, US Congressman Jim Banks said in a statement on Friday.
"Secretary Mnuchin should cancel his travel to Saudi Arabia later this month until the world receives answers about what happened to journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul," Banks said in a Twitter post.
Mnuchin told CNBC earlier today that he still intends to go to the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in Saudi Arabia later this month, though scores of participants have withdrawn over Khashoggi's disappearance.
The FII conference, also known as "Davos in the desert," will be hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and is scheduled to take place from October 23-25.
Several US companies, business leaders, and media outlets have pulled out of the event in light of Khashoggi's disappearance. World Bank President Jim Kong Kim on Friday said he has informed Saudi authorities that he will no longer attend.
Other notable business leaders who have dropped out of the event include co-founder of AOL and chairman of Case Foundation Steve Case, Viacom Inc. CEO Bob Bakish, HP Inc executive Joanna Popper, Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong and media mogul Arianna Huffington.
Khashoggi has been missing since October 2, when he visited the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul to obtain documents needed for his upcoming marriage. Turkish authorities reportedly say they have evidence that Khashoggi was murdered at the consulate, but Saudi Arabia has denied the allegations.
