Former Twitter employee is convicted in Saudi spy case

A former Twitter Inc manager accused of spying for Saudi Arabia was convicted on Tuesday on six criminal counts, including acting as an agent for the country and trying to disguise a payment from an official tied to Saudi’s royal family.

Ahmad Abouammo, a dual US-Lebanese citizen who at Twitter helped oversee relationships with journalists and celebrities in the Middle East and North Africa, was found guilty after a 2-1/2 week trial in San Francisco federal court.

Jurors acquitted him on five of the 11 counts he faced.

Federal public defenders representing Abouammo did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Twitter declined to comment.