68% of wanted debtors owe less than JD5,000 — Justice minister

AMMAN — The parliamentary legal committee met on Wednesday to discuss reports issued under Defence Order No. 28 of 2021, which pertains to debtor imprisonment and its impact on rehabilitation centres. 

MP Ghazi Thneibat, head of the panel, said that the meeting was held in response to Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh’s decision to suspend any action on debtor imprisonment until April 30.

During the meeting, which was chaired by Lower House Speaker Ahmad Safadi, Minister of Justice Ahmad Ziadat and Director of the Correctional and Rehabilitation Centres Department, Brig. Falah Al Majali, reviewed the impacts of implementing these reports, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.  

The reports are a national-social issue which is a concern to all citizens, Thneibat said, adding that the Defence Order takes public interest into account.

The committee clarified that the final decision to extend Defence Order No. 28 of 2021 lies with the government, not the parliament. 

Ziadat said that there has been no decision to extend or amend the Defence Order related to debtor imprisonment. 

Presenting a set of figures related to debtor imprisonment, Ziadat pointed out that approximately 94 debtors were imprisoned on February 1 of this year, when the Defence Order amendment came into effect. 

A total of 146 inmates were serving prison sentences for cheque-related offenses on February 1, 2023. As of April 25, there were 178 inmates imprisoned for the same class of offenses, representing a difference of just 32 inmates. 

A total of 158,131 individuals are wanted by all enforcement departments. Of this figure, 68 per cent are less than JD5,000 in debt, and 87 per cent owe less than JD20,000, Ziadat revealed.

Rehabilitation centres reached 163 per cent of their maximum capacity of inmates, according to Majali.