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AMMAN — The Islamic Action Front (IAF) on Wednesday revisited an earlier decision to dismiss two of its members who are affiliated with the “Group of Elders” breakaway faction.

In December last year, the IAF, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood group, dismissed Ghaith Qudah and Saed Athem, without prior notice or explanation.

Qudah and Athem issued a joint statement slamming the IAF for the “arbitrary” decision. 

Qudah was not available for comment despite several attempts to contact him regarding how he and his colleague will respond to the move taken by the IAF to revisit their dismissal.

However, Khaled Hasanain, the Group of Elders’ spokesperson, said his group welcomes this decision as the dismissal was arbitrary.

The dismissal of the two members was followed by a mass resignation of 400 others who are also members of the Group of Elders, a faction of defectors calling for reforms within the party.

Their resignations were rejected by the IAF last month.

Although, in a previous statement, Hasanain described the mass departures as “final”, the Group of Elders has changed its position and welcomed the IAF’s rejection of the departures.

“We might consider withdrawing these resignations, if the party is willing to have a comprehensive discussion,” Hasanain told The Jordan Times on Wednesday.

He added that “when the resignations were submitted, the issue was serious… but if there is going to be a call for debate by the IAF, the resignations will be withdrawn.”

IAF Spokesperson Murad Adaileh was not available for comment despite several attempts by The Jordan Times to contact him.

Earlier this month, the Muslim Brotherhood modified its by-law, ending its affiliation with the mother group in Cairo.

A group of reformists led by Abdul Majid Thneibat have already re-registered Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood movement as a Jordanian society, severing its affiliation with its mother group in Egypt.

The move created a rift within the Islamist movement, with members of the old group accusing the new society of working with the government, but officials have stressed that the decision is purely organisational and has nothing to do with politics.

AMMAN — The Land Transport Regulatory Commission (LTRC) has extended the deadline for adjusting taxi meters to reduce fares until the beginning of March, a municipal official said on Wednesday. 

Abdul Rahim Wreikat, director of the Greater Amman Municipality’s public transport operations department, said the municipality and the Jordan Standards and Metrology Organisation will start labelling vehicles with meters operating according to the new price system. 

“The drivers of cars that do not have the labels will be considered as violators of the law who charge higher prices,” he told The Jordan Times over the phone. 

Ahmad Abu Haidar, president of the Transport Services and Taxi Owners Union, said the deadline was extended because drivers did not implement the changes in protest against the new prices. 

“They believe that the prices are not fair and they have many expenses to meet,” Abu Haidar added. 

In January, the LTRC decided to cut taxi fares by 10 per cent in light of the drop in oil prices, after a review of the operational costs of the different means of public transport, giving taxi drivers two weeks to comply.

The morning fare for taxis has been reduced to 19 fils for every 100 metres, and the night fare has been decreased to 25 fils for every 100 metres. 

Abu Haidar claimed that the market already faces “unfair competition”. 

“There are many motorists who own private cars and operate them as taxis, and this affects our business negatively. We believe that our market is unprotected.” 

He noted that around 17,000 taxis operate in the Kingdom, 11,400 of which are in Amman. 

AMMAN — The criminal court prosecutor on Wednesday charged a 36-year-old man with premeditated murder in connection with the shooting death of his friend over a JD700 debt a day earlier in an Amman neighbourhood, official sources said.

A 33-year-old man, who is a relative of the suspect, was charged with complicity in premeditated murder by Criminal Court Prosecutor Issam Haddidi, a senior judicial source said.

On Tuesday night, the victim was found shot dead in his family home and coroners at the scene said he was shot five times, a senior official source said.

Investigators collected evidence at the scene and questioned family members and relatives of the victim, the official source noted.

“Investigators concluded that the two suspects were involved in the shooting death of the victim,” the official source added.

When brought for questioning and after being confronted with evidence, the main suspect in the case confessed, a senior judicial source that is close to the investigations said.

“The main suspect claimed that the victim’s sister borrowed JD1,000 and asked the suspect’s wife to guarantee the debt,” the source said.

The sister was paying JD50 a month, the source maintained, “but stopped recently and JD700 was left unpaid”.

“The suspect headed to the victim’s house with a relative and asked him to pay the money so his wife would not get in legal trouble but the victim refused,” the source said, citing the suspect’s initial confession.

An argument ensued, the judicial source noted, and the suspect “drew a gun and shot the victim six times. Five bullets hit him in the chest and waist”.

The second suspect was downstairs waiting in the car with the engine running, the source added.

Haddidi ordered both suspects detained at a correctional and rehabilitation centre for 15 days pending further investigations.

AMMAN — The criminal court prosecutor on Wednesday charged a 36-year-old man with premeditated murder in connection with the shooting death of his friend over a JD700 debt a day earlier in an Amman neighbourhood, official sources said.

A 33-year-old man, who is a relative of the suspect, was charged with complicity in premeditated murder by Criminal Court Prosecutor Issam Haddidi, a senior judicial source said.

On Tuesday night, the victim was found shot dead in his family home and coroners at the scene said he was shot five times, a senior official source said.

Investigators collected evidence at the scene and questioned family members and relatives of the victim, the official source noted.

“Investigators concluded that the two suspects were involved in the shooting death of the victim,” the official source added.

When brought for questioning and after being confronted with evidence, the main suspect in the case confessed, a senior judicial source that is close to the investigations said.

“The main suspect claimed that the victim’s sister borrowed JD1,000 and asked the suspect’s wife to guarantee the debt,” the source said.

The sister was paying JD50 a month, the source maintained, “but stopped recently and JD700 was left unpaid”.

“The suspect headed to the victim’s house with a relative and asked him to pay the money so his wife would not get in legal trouble but the victim refused,” the source said, citing the suspect’s initial confession.

An argument ensued, the judicial source noted, and the suspect “drew a gun and shot the victim six times. Five bullets hit him in the chest and waist”.

The second suspect was downstairs waiting in the car with the engine running, the source added.

Haddidi ordered both suspects detained at a correctional and rehabilitation centre for 15 days pending further investigations.

AMMAN — The UN World Food Programme (WFP) in Jordan has launched an iris scan payment system allowing Syrian refugees living in camps to purchase food items from local shops using the scan of their eye instead of cash, vouchers or credit cards.

“This is a milestone in the evolution of our food assistance programme, which has come so far from the first few months of the Syria crisis, when we distributed food parcels,” a statement quoted WFP Country Director in Jordan Mageed Yahia as saying.

“With WFP’s iris scan system, we are perfecting the delivery of food assistance, becoming more efficient, enhancing accountability, and making grocery shopping easier and more secure for the refugees,” said the statement, released on Tuesday. 

“The fact that this is happening in Jordan makes it all the more exciting as we hope that it will further contribute to the country’s progress towards being a regional hub for technology.”

The system relies on the UNHCR’s biometric registration data of refugees and works with the WFP’s Jordanian partners: IrisGuard, the company that developed the iris scan platform; Jordan Ahli Bank; and their counterpart Middle East Payment Systems, according to the statement.

Once shoppers have their irises scanned, the system automatically communicates with UNHCR’s registration database to confirm the identity of the refugee, before automatically continuing to the Jordan Ahli Bank through the Middle East Payment System’s financial gateway to determine the refugee’s remaining balance. 

It then confirms the purchase and prints a receipt, the UN agency said.

“WFP is looking to expand the use of its new iris scan payment system for refugees living in all Syrian refugee camps in Jordan during the coming months. Depending on the success of the system in the camps, WFP may also expand the use of this technology in areas outside of the camps,” the statement said.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday sent a cable of condolences to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi over the death of Boutros Boutros-Ghali, a former UN secretary general, a Royal Court statement said. In the cable, His Majesty offered his deepest sympathies to the Egyptian people and leadership.

AMMAN — Their Royal Highnesses Prince Feisal and Princess Zina Al Feisal on Wednesday had a baby boy, whom they called Abdullah, a Royal Court statement said.

The Royal Court congratulated Prince Feisal and Princess Zina and wished the newborn good health and prosperity under the care of his parents. 

AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Wednesday met with Club de Madrid member and former prime minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zlatko Lagumdzija and reviewed the latest regional developments and their repercussions on Jordan.

Ensour acquainted Lagumdzija with the burden Jordan is bearing for hosting several refugee waves, the last of which being the Syrians, stressing that what the Kingdom is bearing “greatly exceeds” what Europe can tolerate, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Lagumdzija voiced his understanding of the challenges facing Jordan. Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammad Momani attended the meeting.

AMMAN — Border Guards on Tuesday night arrested an infiltrator who attempted to cross from Jordan into a neighbouring country, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Wednesday.

The troops followed the rules of engagement, arrested the infiltrator and referred him to the concerned authorities.

Also on Wednesday, an army source said Border Guards received 65 Syrian refugees during the previous 24 hours. The troops transferred the refugees to shelters and camps, and Royal Medical Services personnel treated the injured, Petra quoted the source as saying.

AMMAN — King’s Military Adviser and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mashal Al Zaben on Wednesday met with US Ambassador to Jordan Alice G. Wells, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. Discussions covered military coordination and cooperation.