A Jordanian military court convicted the kingdom's former intelligence chief of fraud and embezzlement Thursday, and sentenced him to eight years in prison.
The court also ordered Sameeh Batikhi, head of the General Intelligence Department from 1996 to October 2000, to repay $24 million it said he reaped through a bank scam.
The court acquitted Batikhi's assistant, Zuhair Zannouneh, for lack of evidence, presiding judge Sameeh Asfourah said, according to AP.
Batikhi and Zannouneh, a former minister of agriculture, had pleaded innocent to charges of fraud, forging official documents, forging a public administration stamp and exploiting public office for personal gain.
The scam involved $127 million in bad loans. The verdict was endorsed by the present chief of the General Intelligence Department, Gen. Saad Kheir, who lessened the sentence but it to four years.
Prosecutor Hijazi said Baitkhi made a copy of a stamp bearing the General Intelligence Department's seal and gave it to another person, who had used it to secure loans from banks. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
