Jordan Times
Thursday, May 19, 2005
'Chalabi issue' under
discussion — Badran
By Alia Shukri Hamzeh and Mahmoud Al Abed
PRIME MINISTER ADNAN Badran on Wednesday said “the issue” of Iraqi Deputy
Premier Ahmed Chalabi was “still under discussion.”
Badran was referring to a recent request by Iraq to find a “political solution”
to a 1992 State Security Court sentence against Chalabi for fraud.
“Jordan wants to maintain the distinguished ties with Iraq,” Badran told
reporters on the sidelines of a Nobel laureates meeting in Petra (see separate
story).
The prime minister, who said he plans to visit Lebanon for talks with his
counterpart Najib Miqati on bilateral ties and regional issues, gave no further
details.
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said during his visit to Jordan earlier this
month that he asked His Majesty King Abdullah to “politically” solve the
“Chalabi issue.” And his Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said the Iraqi
government was looking forward to settling the issue without any embarrassment
to either side.
On Wednesday, Minister of Culture and Government Spokesperson Asma Khader told a
weekly press briefing that Jordan has not yet taken any decision on Chalabi.
“But any decision on the issue will be made in line with the legal framework and
the Kingdom's national interests,” she said.
“Relations with neighbouring Iraq top Jordan's priorities and we seek to enhance
ties with the Iraqi government.”
The court sentenced Chalabi to 22 years in prison for the embezzlement of the
liquidated Petra Bank he headed and ordered him to repay around JD350 million of
embezzled funds.
Recent news reports hinted that Chalabi might be pardoned by King Abdullah.
“A pardon means I'm guilty, but what I'm seeking is another trial by a civil
court and in accordance with the Jordanian law,” Chalabi was quoted by the press
as saying.
His office said there were contacts with Jordanian legal and financial bodies to
clear the sentence against him. Legal experts say that a possible solution would
entail that Chalabi pay back at least part of the embezzled funds in return for
dropping the case.