'Former ministers implicated in casino case'

'Former ministers implicated in casino case'
By Raed Omari

AMMAN - A parliamentary committee probing a suspected corruption case dubbed “casino file” has completed its investigation, implicating former ministers and senior officials, a veteran MP said on Wednesday.

Head of the committee, Deputy Khalil Atiyyeh (Amman, 1st District) told The Jordan Times over the phone yesterday that the panel has completed its four-week-long investigation and has referred its findings to the Lower House speaker’s office.

Atiyyeh noted that the committee had collected documented evidence and listened to testimonies of every person involved, including former ministers and senior officials, all members of the Jordan Tourism Board and the administrative team that handled the agreement.

Under the 2007 casino agreement, the government then authorised a London-based investor to build a casino on the shores of the Dead Sea, but one week after approving the agreement, the officials in charge decided to put the brakes on the deal until further notice. The government of Nader Dahabi renegotiated the agreement to avoid paying $1.4 billion in fines for annulling the agreement.

Atiyyeh noted that the panel followed strict legal standards in its investigation, explaining that every single incident related to the case, even marginal matters, was taken into consideration.

“We verified the authenticity of every single document and no conclusion was reached depending just on one single testimony.

He added that the panel came up with the conclusion that clear legal and constitutional violations were committed by senior officials when handling the agreement.

“Exploitation and misuse of public office, embezzlement, violation of the constitutional oath, hiding important documents and files, violating tender regulations and tourism laws and hindering justice are among the crimes committed in relation to the casino case,” the MP said.

To give credibility to the panel’s investigation, the lawmaker again cited Article 56 of the Constitution, which stipulates that the House is the only body authorised to look into cases involving ministers.


Moreover, Atiyyeh explained that the Higher Council for the Interpretation of the Constitution decided in 1992 to grant lawmakers the right not only to charge ministers with regard to investigations carried out by the judiciary or any other entity, but also to conduct separate investigations, gather evidence and interrogate officials.

He said that the case is now in the hands of the House speaker who will take action in line with the Constitution.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) started a probe into the case but later referred the file to the House, upon request of lawmakers, who said Parliament was the only entity authorised to impeach ministers.

Back then, the House decided to start a probe into the case from scratch, rejecting all related data collected and sent by the ACC.