Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan has reportedly been slapped with a £58million lawsuit stemming from serious legal allegations.
Legal papers claim that Al-Rumayyan, who is chairman of the Magpies and LIV Golf, is being sued for allegedly executing the directives of Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) with ‘malicious intent.’
According to a report from The Athletic, the allegations suggest that Al-Rumayyan acted deliberately to "harm, silence, and ultimately destroy" the family of Dr. Saad Aljabri, Saudi Arabia's former intelligence chief. The legal papers, which are looking for permission from a Canadian court to add Al-Rumayyan to the ongoing case, are requesting a new claim to be brought against him and others based on these new allegations.
Dr. Aljabri has stated that the defendants, including Al-Rumayyan, had played a role in a three-and-a-half-year campaign targeting his family. Dr. Aljabri is a former top aide to Prince Mohammed bin Nayef. He left Saudi Arabia in 2017 and is currently in Canada, where the legal proceedings are taking place. His family is seeking £58m in damages.
Al-Rumayyan serves as the governor of PIF, the state's sovereign wealth fund, which acquired an 80% stake in Newcastle in 2021. They are one of the most well-known national sovereign wealth funds.
Newcastle are currently hamstrung by Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations. So far, the side are unable to even complete the signing of Kavlin Phillips from Manchester City, with the Citizens asking for a £7m fee. It’s been a testing time for the club, both on and off the pitch.
The ongoing court case against their chairman should not have a huge effect on matters, however, as the Premier League already ratified PIF via the Directors’ and Owners’ test.
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