jordan pulse -

Khaled Al-Ajarmeh
The Third Chamber of the Court of Minor Felonies sentenced a municipal surveyor in a large municipality near Irbid to five years of temporary hard labour and dismissed him from his position, in addition to fines and fees, after convicting him of forgery.

The verdict, issued by a panel led by Judge Dr. Marzouq Al-Amoush with Judge Fadi Musleh and Public Prosecutor Atef Al-Khawaldeh of the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission in attendance, stated that the convict was responsible for issuing building permits at the municipality.

The case surfaced when a woman, either the building owner or her daughter, visited the licensing department to renew a permit. A female employee noticed discrepancies: the transaction number didn’t match records, the licensed area was incorrect, and the financial receipt appeared suspicious. The listed area was 60 square metres, while the actual building measured 100. The fees paid were also significantly lower than appropriate.

The employee reported her findings to the mayor, who referred the case to the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission. The commission launched a detailed investigation based on documentation and confessions, eventually charging the surveyor with material forgery.

After reviewing testimonies and evidence, the court ruled the financial receipt and permit were forged and all associated fees falsified. The surveyor was found guilty and sentenced to five years with hard labour, removed from his job, fined JD 55.5, and ordered to pay JD 500 in court fees. The ruling is subject to appeal.