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AMMAN — A government official on Monday said he was referring to a handful of people when he used his Facebook account to describe those who criticised him as animals.

Two lawyers have filed lawsuits against Nofan Ajarmeh, director of the Legislation and Opinion Bureau at the Prime Ministry, accusing him of slander and defamation.

Ajarmeh had allegedly posted several comments on his personal Facebook page on December 4 describing people who criticised government decisions as animals.

“Those who criticise the government for hiking prices are like animals and their waste,” he reportedly posted on his Facebook page.

Ajarmeh told The Jordan Times that he was directing his comments to “a handful of people who harshly criticised [him] and targeted [him] personally”.

“I did not make any mistake against any individual and this is personal since these individuals criticised only me as if I were the one who imposed these new regulations,” he said.

Ajarmeh was referring to the recent government decision to raise the price of gas cylinders and car licensing fees.

Two lawyers have since filed lawsuits against him.

One of them, Tarek Abul Ragheb, said in a statement made available to The Jordan Times that he had criticised the government for raising the licence fees on Facebook and was practicing his right “to express his opinion.”

“I was surprised to see Ajarmeh’s post shortly after I published mine describing people who criticised the decision as animals and animal waste,” Abul Ragheb wrote in a memo that was presented to the prosecutor. 

Meanwhile, Ajarmeh said that when the case is over in courts and he is “hopefully pronounced innocent", he plans to file lawsuits against these two lawyers for defamation.

“I have faith in the justice system and that I will be declared innocent, and when I am, I will file a lawsuit against the lawyers who filed a case against me.”

AMMAN — The government's purpose in its latest decision to increase licensing fees for newly imported vehicles will likely backfire, the Jordan Free Zone Investors Association (JFZIA) said on Monday.

Under the new decision, licensing fees for vehicles with 3,001-4,000cc engines will be JD440, while the fees for engines larger than 4,000cc will be JD650.

The decision applies to newly imported vehicles as of Monday.

"The government already used to take no less than JD15,000 in custom duties for cars with 3,000cc to 4,000cc engines. Now the new decision will reduce demand on big engines and that means incurring heavy losses," JFZIA President Nabil Rumman told The Jordan Times on Monday.

He said the government already used to receive a "huge chunk of money" from the licensing fees of big-engine cars, and the new increase will have a "major" impact on demand for such cars.

"We are talking about a recession in the big car market that will benefit no party," the JFZIA president added.

On the other hand, Rumman noted that big-engine cars are "not always a luxury, for they are needed in a mountainous country like Jordan".

The government on Sunday reached a deal with MPs over its decision to raise car licensing fees under pressure from the Lower House, the media and the street.

Following a closed-door meeting with the House's Permanent Bureau ahead of a session to discuss the 2016 general budget bill, the government  revisited its recent increase of car licensing fees, leaving the cost of licences for vehicles whose engines are sized 3,000cc and below unchanged.

AMMAN — The Brazilian embassy in Jordan will hold the “First Solidarity Market” at the Royal Cultural Centre on Friday, December 1.

The event, which will take place from 1pm to 7pm, aims at supporting different community projects around Jordan and will include Brazilian food and music, and presentations of Capoeira and movies for children.

Capoeira is a Brazilian art form which combines fight, dance, rhythm and movement, according to web sources.

AMMAN — A man died on Monday when his vehicle overturned on Maan Bridge, according to a Civil Defence Department (CDD) statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Also on Monday, four people were injured in a three-vehicle collision.

East Amman CDD cadres took the injured to Tutanji Public Hospital where they were listed in fair condition. 

AMMAN — Seven people suffered food poisoning in Irbid’s Alaal area after consuming expired food, the Civil Defence Department (CDD) said on Monday.

The Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted Irbid CDD Director Brig. Gen. Munib Awawdeh as saying that CDD cadres administered first aid to them and took them to Yarmouk Public Hospital where they were listed in fair condition.

AMMAN — Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh on Monday met with Qatari Ambassador to Jordan Bandar Al Attiyah and discussed recent developments in the region and bilateral relations, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Tarawneh stressed the importance of Arab cooperation in economic fields. Attiyah said Jordan is peaceful and stable with an investment-friendly climate.

AMMAN — The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy on Monday unanimously endorsed a recommendation to accept Jordan’s request to join PACE, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The vote took place during the committee’s meeting in Brussels. Before the vote, MP Mustafa Hamarneh, who has been entrusted with following up on the Jordanian request, asserted the Kingdom’s efforts to entrench democracy. 

AMMAN — A convoy laden with medical supplies for the Jordanian military field hospital “Gaza 39” arrived in the coastal enclave on Monday, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The supplies will enable the hospital to offer free medical days in remote areas.

AMMAN — Chair of the Lower House Foreign Affairs Committee, Deputy Bassam Manaseer met on Monday with Czech Ambassador to Jordan Petr Hladik, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. They discussed means to develop relations.

Manaseer explained the difficult economic conditions the Kingdom is facing in light of hosting refugees in addition to the lack of resources. Hladik said his country is ready to increase its medical and defence support for Jordan, noting that Czech teams are currently working in Jordan to serve Syrian refugees.

AMMAN — Culture Minister Lana Mamkegh on Monday announced Aqaba’s selection as the “Jordanian city of culture” for 2016 and Mafraq for 2017, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

She said a committee studied the files of both cities, taking into consideration their cultural, economic, social and tourism importance before making the selection.