Jordan: four -year imprisonment to former intelligence director

Former Jordanian chairman of intelligence, Samih al-Bateikhi, was sentenced yesterday to 8 year imprisonment decreased to 4 after he was convicted of corruption in a measure which is the first of its kind in Jordan.

Al-Bateikhi headed the Jordanian intelligence department from 1996 to October 2000 and contributed to the arrangement of the transfer of the throne to King Abdullah II.

A special military court sentenced al-Bateikhi to 8 years and to pay a fine of 450 Jordanian dinars ( USD 600) as well as a sum of 24 million dollars he is accused of looting them.

Al-Bateikhi was sentenced for three year imprisonment and a fine of ( USD 290) for his interference in looting and to three year imprisonment and a fine of ( USD 80) over falsifying official seals and two year and a fine of (USD 290) over the pretext of seeking personal gain from his job.

"The chairman of the Jordanian intelligence Lt. Gen. Saad Kheir approved the sentence but ordered to reduce the imprisonment from 8 years to 4 years," according to a judicial source.

The military court also held Zuheir Zanouna, al-Bateikhi assistant and former minister of agriculture, who has been tried in the same case.

The attorney general Muhannad Hijazi said that al-Bateikhi was the brain behind the " Banking scheme" which covered more than 200 businessmen and heads of banks and intelligence officials who facilitated and enabled the main convict in this scandal, Majd al-Shameylah ( a businessman ), of getting 344 million dinars ( USD 485 million ).