Tarawneh calls on gov’t to provide answers in IACC letter investigation

AMMAN — Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh on Monday called on the government to provide the House with the results of an investigation into a letter which the Prime Ministry and the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission (IACC) said was forged.

The letter alleged that the IACC was preparing to seize MP Ensaff Khawaldeh’s funds in relation to investigations into the so called “tobacco case”. However, both the Prime Ministry and the IACC refuted the letter’s validity on Friday.

Tarawneh stressed the importance of finding the identity of the person responsible for the forged letter, which he said attempted to smear Khawaldeh’s reputation. He also stressed the importance of unmasking corrupt officials and uncovering those involved in “tobacco case”, especially after the IACC had noted the involvement of a number of deputies and officials in the corruption case.

Deputy Prime Minister Rajai Muasher said that character assassination has become common these days, adding that provoking suspicion of national institutions would not weaken the Kingdom’s power.

The government is following up on the issue and will provide the Lower House with the details when the investigation is finished, Muasher added.

MP Khawaldeh said that the letter amounted to an attempt at “defamation and character assassination”, calling for uncovering the truth and identifying those behind the accusations and forged signatures of the prime minister and the chief of the IACC.

Khawaldeh has also presented a statement of account that showed her bank accounts and her due loans, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The IACC said that the letter was not issued by the commission and was not signed by its chief, noting that the case number on the letterhead is not one of IACC’s accredited numbers.