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AMMAN — HH Prince Mired, president of the Higher Council for the Affairs of Persons with Disabilities, on Monday attended a ceremony held by the Electricity Company of Irbid to honour members of the Hashemite Commission for Disabled Soldiers.

Ahmad Thinat, director general of the company, said that honouring the disabled soldiers highlights their mandate and is a gesture of appreciation to the sacrifices of security personnel while defending the country, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. At the end of the ceremony, Prince Mired handed gifts to injured soldiers.

AMMAN — The Social Development Ministry announced that it completed the construction of 94 housing units for underprivileged families in different parts of the Kingdom, the Jordan News Agency,  Petra, reported on Monday.

The ministry said in a statement on Monday that the housing units will be handed over to the beneficiaries within the next few days, once they are equipped with necessary furniture and supplies.

AMMAN — Gendarmerie Department Director Maj. Gen. Hussein Hawatmeh on Monday met with US Chargé d’Affaires Henry Wooster, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. Hawatmeh and Wooster discussed means to enhance cooperation in the field of security, especially technology and training.

Hawatmeh stressed the importance of cooperation and exchange of expertise in various fields. For his part, Wooster commended the “advanced” level that the department has reached locally and internationally, highlighting the importance of strengthening partnerships in the security domains. 

AMMAN — Director of the Public Security Department (PSD) Maj. Gen. Ahmad Faqih on Monday met with members of local security and central committees councils of Rusaifa to enhance cooperation between citizens and PSD personnel.

During the meeting, attendees discussed several security and police issues that concern Rusaifa residents, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. Faqih said that the PSD works under a comprehensive security strategy that aims at improving services for citizens. 

AMMAN — Chairman of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) Khaled Kalaldeh has confirmed that the commission supported a number of public and private schools in conducting school elections, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Monday.

In response to a question from Petra, Kalaldeh said that the IEC supported the elections in accordance with its national duty and awareness raising strategy. Kalaldeh said that the IEC has trained a number of committees in schools and provided them with mock ballot papers, voter registers, ballot boxes and dividers so that students can conduct an authentic simulation of the electoral process.

He praised the experience of school parliaments, noting that they familiarise students with elections from an early age.

AMMAN — Amman Mayor Yousef Shawarbeh on Monday met with Director of United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Operations Rogers Davis and discussed ways to enhance cooperation between the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) and UNRWA, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Davis praised GAM’s support to the agency in enabling it to provide educational services to children living in camps through the allocation of land for the establishment of schools within the capital’s jurisdiction.

Shawarbeh praised the efforts made by UNRWA in providing various services to refugees and improving their quality of life. He outlined the services provided by GAM at refugee camps “without interfering” with the services of the agency.

AMMAN — A father of a student on Monday was arrested for allegedly assaulting a teacher in Zarqa on Sunday, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. Zarqa Education Director Mohammad Klob said that the teacher was “violent” against an 11-year-old boy, which resulted in the father coming to the school and attacking the teacher.

Klob said that the parent should have complained to the school instead, adding that the institution will open an investigation into the case. He noted that they are able to take measures against teachers who physically discipline students. Klob visited the teacher at the hospital to check on his health, according to Petra.

AMMAN — Prime Minister Hani Mulki on Monday headed a meeting of the Cabinet’s economic team that focused on the performance of Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ).

The ministerial taskforce listened to a briefing from Chairman of RJ’s Board of Directors Said Darwazeh and RJ's General Manger and CEO Stefan Pichler on the company's plans and projects to overcome financial challenges it is going through, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Darwazeh stressed that RJ's plan for the next five years will be enough for steering the national carrier towards the future in line with the highest international standards and enhancing its capabilities to be able to effectively compete with rivals in the industry.

He added that the company had already embarked on taking measures that focus on good administration of the airline and its stations, in addition to lowering expenditures and increasing revenues.

Pichler noted that the company's plan contributed to achieving a "remarkable" progress towards implementing goals that aim at overcoming RJ's challenges.

Mulki stressed that the government “expects well-structured and ambitious plans for the company in the next phase, when it would be able to overcome all challenges and make profits”.

The premier said that the government will support the company as long as it takes the right decisions to surmount challenges and turn them into opportunities and profits, and that RJ has to act within a competitive work programme.

He also stressed the importance for the company to reconsider its routes and low-profit stations, and to increase its flights to destinations that ensure more competitiveness to RJ.

Members of the government team expressed their opinions on the issue and proposed procedures to be taken to overcome such challenges.

AMMAN — The Police Court on Monday sentenced three police officers to prison terms ranging from two months to one year in connection with the riots that occurred at Swaqa Correctional and Rehabilitation Centre (SCRC) in September, official sources said.

The court also decided to discharge the three officers after they were found guilty of failing to perform their duties adequately, a senior police official said.

Meanwhile, the court acquitted 10 other police officers who were standing trial on charges of bribery and failing to perform their duties adequately, citing a lack of evidence, a senior official told
The Jordan Times.

The 13 officers were originally charged with smuggling illegal substances to the inmates, including a mobile phone and illegal narcotics, in return for cash.  

The Police Court verdict will be reviewed by the Cassation Court within the next 30 days.

Government Coordinator for Human Rights Basel Tarwneh welcomed the decision, which he said ensured “the rule of law and proved that no one is immune from punishment”.

“The verdict is a clear sign that the Public Security Department [PSD] represented by the Police Court will not tolerate any wrongdoing by any of its personnel,” Tarawneh told The Jordan Times.

Such verdicts, Tarawneh added, will surely “improve the police procedures in the future, including the recent measures that were adopted by the PSD to tackle individual mistakes in the most transparent and professional manner”.

Riots and acts of arson were reportedly committed by dozens of SCRC inmates in September, as shown in several video clips that also purported inmates harming themselves with sharp objects.

The video clips, which surfaced on the Internet, caused an uproar on social media platforms in Jordan. 

As a result of the riots, police officials said that dozens of inmates were referred to the State Security Court on terror related charges, and over 20 police officers were referred to the police prosecutor for questioning for allegedly violating duties, in addition to smuggling illegal substances to the inmates.

In addition, dozens of inmates were transferred to other correctional and rehabilitation facilities in the Kingdom, while over 100 police officers from various correctional facilities were relocated to serve in other PSD offices following the SCRC incident.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah is due today to arrive in Kazakhstan for an official visit, according to a Royal Court statement. 

During the visit, the King will meet with Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev to discuss means of enhancing cooperation between the two countries, and the latest regional and international developments.

The King is also scheduled to meet with a number of senior officials during the visit.

A Kazakh media report on Monday quoted Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to Jordan Azamat Berdibay as saying that the Monarch will pay a two-day visit to Kazakhstan, saying officials from both sides will meet for bilateral talks mainly focusing on trade and economic cooperation.