Saudi prince in London murder scandal

A 33-year-old Saudi prince is being held in London on suspicion of murder after the aide/servant he shared a hotel room with was found dead. British authorities believe Prince Saud Bin Abdulaziz Bin Nasir Bin Abdulaziz al Saud strangled Bandar Abdullah Abdulaziz, 32, to death. He was found dead by a maid doing daily rounds at the posh Landmark Hotel in London. An autopsy revealed Abdulaziz died of “manual compression of the neck” and unspecified head injuries.

Al-Saud had been staying at the hotel during a month-long sightseeing/shopping trip to London. He is a minor prince in the massive Saudi royal family, which includes thousands of relations of King Abdullah — who himself has 37 children. As such, Al-Saud does not enjoy diplomatic immunity but he does enjoy access to wealth of which the average American can only dream. He is currently in remand and a bail hearing is scheduled for next week:

Michael Wolkind QC, counsel for Mr Al Saud, called his client “the prince” in court.

He said: “We look forward to a trial where we will expose a prosecution case which has turned a genuine friendship with the deceased to a false relationship of master and servant.

“The prosecution has turned a genuine tragedy into a wrongful accusation of murder.”

Mr Al Saud was helped by an Arabic interpreter in the hearing. He is also charged with one count of grievous bodily harm.

They may have shared a real “friendship.” Press reports indicate Abdulaziz and al-Saud shared the same hotel room, with the servant sleeping “at the foot of his bed.”

Al-Saud also had brutally attacked Abdulaziz three weeks before he (allegedly) killed him. Apparently, hotel employees called the police after seeing Abdulaziz either in the process of being attacked or immediately afterwards. Abdulaziz, however, refused to press charges against his employer.

Saudi newspapers reported that Abdulaziz, also a Saudi citizen, died “as the result of a mugging in London.”

Al-Saud is the son of one of King Abdullah’s nephews.