Saudi Arabia finally came clean late Friday, admitting — two weeks after claiming he’d left its Istanbul consulate alive — that journalist Jamal Khashoggi is dead and was killed there following an unexplained “fist fight.”

So much for the “thorough, transparent and timely investigation that provides answers” about the Washington Post columnist’s fate that the kingdom promised Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. This is just a pathetic attempt at dodging accountability.

As widely expected, Riyadh also announced the dismissal of Ahmad bin Hassan Asiri as director of general intelligence. While 18 others are said to be under investigation, singling out Asiri as a scapegoat clearly is meant to protect Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

And with the prince himself heading the “investigation,” that’s just what it will do.

Indeed, reports say the Saudis will claim Asiri was instructed to detain Khashoggi but either misunderstood or got carried away.

Yet nothing the Saudis disclosed Friday explains the insistence by Turkey that it has audio evidence proving Khashoggi was tortured, killed and dismembered minutes after entering the consulate.

Slowly but surely, the facts are coming out — no thanks to Saudi Arabia.

President Trump may well have to mete out the “severe punishment” he promised sooner than he expected.