Cassation Court upholds ‘casino file’ ruling

AMMAN — The Cassation Court on Sunday upheld a ruling by the Amman Criminal Court and Court of Appeals clearing former tourism minister Osama Dabbas and four other defendants in the case known as the “casino file”, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

In its final ruling in 2013, the criminal court said the idea to establish a casino in Jordan does not violate any law, and that coming up with new economically feasible ideas is one of the minister’s duties and responsibilities.

The court said all prosecution witnesses denied that Dabbas tried to negatively or positively influence their decision to sign the casino deal.

The court deemed that the Treasury did not incur any losses due to Dabbas’ signing of the initial agreement to build a casino on the shores of the Dead Sea.

The court declared that the former minister was not guilty of forgery, fraud or abuse of public office.

The multimillion-dinar deal was later scrapped in 2007 by Nader Dahabi’s government.