Jordan investigates a big financial scandal
Jordan, Economics, 2/16/2002

The Jordanian government has submitted the file of a controversial case concerning "illegal operations" against three banks at a sums involved estimated at USD 98 million to the state security court.

The military attorney started investigations with a former ministers and the director of the former general intelligence department, two of heads of boards of banks and three intelligence officers.

A high ranking Jordanian official said that the Jordanian King Abdullah, who returned back in the mid of last week from a long visit to the USA, has his instructions to unveil the implications of one of the greatest "deception" causes taking place against the Jordanian economy since 13 years. This case was the focal discussions of political and economic saloons along the three past months after information were leaked on the escape of a Jordanian businessman called Majd Sami al-Shamaeylah having with him big sums of money after he had got large banking facilities without enough guarantees from three banks.

It is believed that al-Shameylah is the brain of this operation in collaboration with other 30 persons, many of them were working in a company for computer technologies, sealed off by the Jordanian authorities last week. The Jordanian authorities also blocked sums allotted at al-Shameylah account in several banks and on shares at a vale of USD 2.2 million.

After the Jordanian authorities order arresting five persons for investigations including the son of former prime minister and a minister of the interior, the state court attorney Mahmoud Obeidat has started preliminary investigations with high ranking officials including member of al-Ayan council ( upper house), former intelligence chief Samih al-Batheikhi, former minister of agriculture Zuheir Zanouna. The investigations will also target the two chairmen of the Jordan and al-Khaleij banks, Nabil Barakat and the Exports and Finance Bank Ali al-Hosari.

In parallel to that the director of the general intelligence, the rapprateur of the state's court Lt. Gen. Saad Kheir has brought before the court three officers of this department to investigate this in this matter before the military court at the intelligence department.

It was learnt from banking sources that the main convict in this case has falsified documents and official stamps in order to get banking facilities estimated at USD 98 million.

The Jordanian prime minister Ali Abu al-Ragheb said that he has decided, according to plenary investigations held by the public intelligence department in coordination with the government and the central bank to bring this case to the attorney general at the state security court to investigate the whole matter.

Previous Stories:
  Jordan's exports and imports   (2/13/2002)
  Iran's industrial fair opened in Jordan   (2/12/2002)
  Jordan denies differences with Arab states involved in gas project   (2/12/2002)

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