Amidst the $3B Turmoil, LIV Golf Pioneer Yasir Al Rumayyan Divulges a Confounding Reason Behind His Absence: ‘Inappropriate Witness’

The merger between PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and the DP World Tour came as a complete shocker when it was announced. Moreover, the golf world is keen on its lookout for news related to the $3 billion deal. And the past couple of days have revealed astonishing news regarding the same as the governor of the Public Investment Fund took center stage.

In an unexpected development of sorts, a US Senator had voiced his worry about the partnership between the two entities. In a bid to probe the ongoing LIV Golf’s proposed merger with the PGA Tour, the head of the US Subcommittee had recapitulated the demand for the governor of the wealth fund, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, to testify before the country’s legislators which resulted in a reply from the Saudi Chairman leaving many surprised.

Yasir Al-Rumayyan pushes back request by US Senator

Richard Blumenthal, the chairman of the US Senate Subcommittee on Investigations, demanded that the Saudi-backed league should be subjected to the oversight of the country since they are acting as an investor in the US market. But in a letter to the senator, the lawyers for Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the PIF governor, stated reasons as to why he would not be able to testify before the lawmakers.

In a letter dated August 4, Saudi Arabia’s wealth fund pushed back on the request by the senator to testify before the subcommittee citing reasons of concern over foreign “sovereignty and international comity”. The attorneys for the governor stated that Al-Rumayyan would be “an inappropriate witness” since he is “a minister bound by the Kingdom’s laws regarding the confidentiality of certain information.” 

The Saudi Arabian governor’s representatives had earlier declined any previous invitations to testify due to “scheduling conflicts” that had risen in recent months. But they finally came forward to make fresh claims on why he would not be able to testify and serve the requested documents since it would affect the integrity of the nation in a severe manner owing to his position in the country.

Nevertheless, Blumenthal seems immovable in his conviction to subject the PIF to the scrutiny of the American laws. The senator has since then come out in reply to the seeming evasion of the governor in testifying for the United States Senate’s probe.

Blumenthal issues a fresh invite

In a letter to Al-Rumayyan released this Wednesday, the US lawmaker pushed back on his reasons to not testify in front of the American subcommittee. He requested the governor to appear at a hearing to be held on September 13th or to propose other dates by August 18th to discuss the engagement of the Saudi wealth fund with the United States.

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The senator noted that the governor stated the same argument against PGA Tour’s countersuit against LIV Golf which was rejected by the Federal magistrate judge Susan van Keulen. He stated in his letter that the Saudi citizen’s conduct actually “falls within the commercial activity exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act,” citing reasons as to why the testimony and the documents are vital to understand the scope of the investment.

Do you think Al-Rumayyan will give in to the demands of the US Subcommittee in the investigation?  What do you think will happen to the merger if this drags on? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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