AMMAN -- The Lower House referred the findings of its investigation committee into alleged corruption in the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) to the government to take the necessary legal measures as a panel found "violations".
During yesterday's session, head of the committee, Jerash MP Ahmad Otoum, explained that after more than an eight-month-long investigation, the panel "found several violations in GAM's implementation of its restructuring plan and other projects".
Otoum noted that the panel has previously referred a total of 32 files detailing violations allegedly committed by GAM to the former House speaker, who, in turn, referred them to the former premier Marouf Bakhit.
Bakhit referred only 15 files to the prosecutor general, the deputy noted.
The panel recommended to protect GAM employees who assisted in the investigation.
"The former mayor deprived some of them of their salaries and referred others to early retirement for helping the panel," Otoum said.
The lawmaker also explained that the committee found that numerous GAM employees are not Jordanians at a time when unemployment rates in Jordan are going up.
He noted that around 94 per cent of GAM's budget goes for salaries and paying debts, which rendered the country's largest municipality unable to offer any services to the capital's residents.
"GAM, as a result of spending too much money on extending gifts, jewellery and diamonds, has become incapable of serving Amman citizens," Otoum said.
Also on Sunday, Prosecutor General Rami Salah ordered the detention of former deputy Amman mayor Amer Bashir for 14 days, as part of an ongoing investigation over alleged violations committed by top officials in GAM.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Thaer Odwan appealed yesterday on the Amman Court of First Instance's decision to release on bail former mayor Omar Maani, who is implicated in the same probe, an official source said.
After 30 days in custody, the court released Maani on Thursday on a JD300,000 bail after accepting a petition submitted by his lawyers, who had tried from day one to free him.
The developments came a few days after Odwan's request that investigation authorities look further into the alleged violations at GAM and collect more evidence and testimonies to ensure complete and adequate investigation before reaching any conclusion.
However, the investigation authorities in the so-called GAM files charged Bashir, who served from 2006 to 2011 in an elected post, with "abuse of public office".
Before freeing Maani, the prosecutor general released earlier this month the major shareholder in the public transportation company of Al Mutakamilah, one of the GAM files allegedly plagued with violations, George Abu Khader, for medical treatment.
Last week, the Central Bank of Jordan reportedly issued a circular announcing that Bashir's assets have been frozen, pending investigation.
© Jordan Times 2012
