Saudis reportedly never tried to use Khashoggi body double footage because it's 'flawed'

CCTV/Hurriyet via AP; CNN

Surveillance footage of Jamal Khashoggi entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and what appears to be a body double wearing Khashoggi's clothes around the city.

• The Saudi agents who were allegedly involved in Jamal Khashoggi's death reportedly attempted to cover it up via the use of a body double.
• But they ultimately bailed on that plan because of the body double's "flaws."
• Part of the problem was the body double reportedly wore different shoes than Khashoggi when he entered the consulate.
• The Saudi government on Friday acknowledged Khashoggi was killed in their Istanbul consulate after weeks of denials, claiming he died as a result of a fistfight.  
• The Saudi government further claimed his death was part of a "rogue operation" gone wrong that agents attempted to cover up.

The Saudi agents said to have been involved in Jamal Khashoggi's death reportedly attempted to cover it up via the use of a body double, ultimately bailing on their plan because of the body double's "flaws."

Video footage obtained by CNN appears to show one of the agents - identified by Turkish media as Mustafa al-Madani - wearing Khashoggi's clothes, as well as a fake beard and glasses. 

Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist who was often critical of his government, went missing after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2.

Turkish officials accused of the Saudis of orchestrating his death soon after. Initially, the Saudis vehemently denied detaining or harming Khashoggi in any way, claiming without proof that he'd safely departed the consulate.

Accordingly, the Saudis reportedly planned to use the video footage of the body double as evidence Khashoggi had walked out of the consulate unharmed. But they apparently never used the footage as part of their overall narrative on what happened to Khashoggi because it was "flawed," a diplomat familiar with their discussions told The Washington Post.

Part of the problem was the body double reportedly wore different shoes than Khashoggi when he entered the consulate. 

The reports surrounding the apparent body double present more problems to the Saudi government in terms of their latest claims regarding Khashoggi's fate. 

The Saudis on Friday acknowledged Khashoggi died in the consulate after nearly three weeks of denials, claiming his death was a result of a fistfight in the consulate. The Saudi government further claimed his death was part of a "rogue operation" gone wrong that agents attempted to cover up, and said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had no prior knowledge of the plan. 

The Saudi story contradicted claims from Turkish officials that a 15-man team was sent in to Istanbul to interrogate, torture, kill, and dismember Khashoggi. Many also suspect the crown prince of orchestrating the events that led to Khashoggi's death and are skeptical of the Saudi government's efforts to distance him from the incident. 

The Turkish government said it plans to release all of the details related to its investigation into Khashoggi's death on Tuesday.