Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan faces a potential $74m lawsuit in Canada after being served legal papers at the beginning of January in a move set to bring about questions over the club’s distance from the Saudi state.
The Athletic report that Al-Rumayyan was served the papers at PIF offices in London as well as St James’ Park alleging that he “carried out the instructions” of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in order to “silence” the family of Saudi Arabia’s former chief of intelligence and aide of Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, Saad Aljabri.
It is also alleged that Al-Rumayyan was “directly involved” in a campaign against Aljabri’s family which was carried out with “malicious intent”.
The Toon Chairman, who also heads LIV Golf, is the governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund who are 80% majority shareholders of Newcastle United.
Upon the completion of the takeover in 2021, the Premier League issued a statement that they had received “legally binding assurances that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will not control Newcastle United Football Club”.
🚨 EXCLUSIVE
Newcastle chair Yasir Al Rumayyan faces $74m lawsuit for allegedly “having carried out instructions” of Saudi Crown Prince MBS, with “malicious intent” of “harming, silencing & ultimately destroying” family of Saudi ex-intelligence chiefhttps://t.co/cqgS5eI8y4
— Adam Crafton (@AdamCrafton_) January 16, 2024
