Jordan arrested senior suspect over contact with Saudi crown prince
Encrypted messages between Bassem Awadallah and Mohammed bin Salman intercepted and deciphered by Jordanian intelligence, sources tell MEE
Bassem Awadallah speaks at a 2006 event (AFP) By Published date: 13 April 2021 13:55 UTC | Last update: 14 hours 54 min ago
Bassem Awadallah, a senior ex-Jordanian official, was arrested over an alleged coup attempt after Jordan’s intelligence services intercepted and deciphered encrypted voice and text messages between him and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a source close to the investigation told Middle East Eye.
The two men discussed how and when to use mounting popular unrest in Jordan, stoked by the kingdom’s flagging economy and the Covid-19 pandemic, to destabilise the rule of King Abdullah II.