Saudi Arabia’s crown prince has denied the kingdom is detaining a prominent journalist in Turkey and defended himself against accusations the episode was tarnishing his image as a reformer.

Breaking his silence on the mystery of Jamal Khashoggi‘s disappearance, Prince Mohammed bin Salman said he did not know his whereabouts but that Riyadh was happy to help in any investigation.

Mr Khashoggi, an outspoken critic of the royal family who has a regular column in the Washington Post, has been missing for three days since visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to update some paperwork needed for a marriage licence.

His Turkish fiancée, who was waiting outside for him, says he never re-emerged.

“My understanding is he entered and he got out after a few minutes or one hour. I’m not sure,” the prince told Bloomberg in an interview published on Friday.