House panel questions first witness in Dead Sea land deal

AMMAN —The Lower House Legal Committee on Sunday questioned the first witness in its investigation into a suspected corruption case involving an MP who tried to acquire a plot of state-owned land in the Dead Sea area at a cost below the market price.

Abdul Munim Odat, who heads the committee, told the press after the meeting that other witnesses will testify before the panel.

Last month, the Lower House tasked its Legal Committee with examining the case following a heated discussion over the issue.

The matter was raised during a Lower House session just one day after Maha Khatib, the chief commissioner of the Development and Free Zones Commission (DFZC), submitted her resignation.

Khatib, who was appointed to the post four months ago, reportedly accused the government of exerting pressure on her to transfer ownership of the state-owned land to Deputy Mohammed Saudi, head of the Lower House Finance Committee, at a price less than the market rate.

However, in previous remarks, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour denied the allegations, saying “it was the DFZC which set the price for this land in the first place.”

Saudi called for referring the case to the relevant parliamentary committee to review and provide its recommendations.

He accused “those who head official agencies” of being “unable to handle their duties properly and creating obstacles for any investment”.

Saudi said he had plans to build a hotel on a 40-dunum plot of land near the Dead Sea in 2005, when he was not an MP.

However, he claimed that a former high-ranking army officer illegally appropriated the land, preventing him and his firm, Al Sanabil for Tourism Investments, from proceeding with the project.

The MP added that he requested to buy the land in 2013.

Several MPs questioned the government about the issue, demanding a clear answer.

Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani told deputies at the time that “the Cabinet postponed looking into the issue, pending further studies to determine a fair price for the land.”

The DFZC decided to set the price at JD75,000 per dunum, according to a document it sent to the prime minister’s office, Momani added.

However, at a Cabinet meeting she attended, Khatib told the Council of Ministers that the price was JD200,000 per dunum, which led to postponing the Cabinet decision, the spokesperson explained.

The government accepted Khatib’s resignation after she insisted on her stance on this issue.