AMMAN -- Deputy Raed Qaqeesh (Balqa First District) has presented Lower House Speaker Abdul Hadi Majali with a letter addressed to the government in which he seeks answers on the alleged involvement of consular officials at Jordan's embassy in Cairo in a multimillion dinar scam.
The deputy claimed that consular officials, including the consul general, certified documents of land ownership and private power of attorney for a Jordanian businessman before he sold 416 dunums to an Egyptian investor in a deal worth JD3.5 million.
But the land turned out to be state-owned and registered in the northern Amman Real Estate Department, he added.
The deputy censured the officials for "promoting an individual as a businessman without cross-checking his identity and legal references," saying such an incident harms Jordan's drive to attract foreign investors.
"Jordan's consul general held a joint meeting with the Jordanian businessman and his Egyptian counterpart and assured the latter of the credentials of the former," Qaqeesh told The Jordan Times.
"Why did the consul certify the private power of attorney and other documents that facilitated the deal without examining their contents, especially since the issue involved millions of dinars?" Qaqeesh asked in his letter, addressed to the Foreign Ministry.
The alleged scam dates back to June 2006, when the Jordanian sold the land located in Salihi, 30km northwest of Amman, to the Egyptian businessman at JD21,000 per dunum, Qaqeesh said.
He promised to provide the government with the necessary documents to substantiate his claims.
An official source at the Foreign Ministry told The Jordan Times that the ministry had not yet received the letter from Qaqeesh.
"We are ready to cooperate with the Parliament in any issue they raise, but we have not received anything from the concerned deputy until now," said the source, who requested anonymity.
The source went on to say that an investigation would be opened once they receive details on the issue.
The Egyptian businessman is currently in Amman trying to reclaim his money, said Qaqeesh.
When the Egyptian businessman confronted his Jordanian counterpart with the facts, the latter apologised and wrote him a cheque worth JD3.5 million, but it bounced because of insufficient funds in the account, said Qaqish, noting that the Egyptian man is considering legal action.
The deputy said his main goal in raising the issue is "to improve the performance of Jordan's embassies."
According to Lower House bylaws, any deputy who wishes to question a minister should submit a written request to the House speaker explaining the issues of concern.
The speaker will, in turn, inform the government of the matter.
House bylaws also stipulate that the concerned minister must submit a written answer within a maximum period of two weeks.
By Mohammad Bin Hussein
© Jordan Times 2007
