AMMAN — A group of MPs on Sunday denounced Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh's alleged misuse of his position to serve family interests and support cases not within the jurisdiction of the Chamber.

 

The statement from 85 lawmakers came a few days after Tarawneh accused the government of targeting him and his family following the arrest of his brother on charges of corruption over the implementation of a construction project in Balqa Governorate. 

 

Tarawneh claimed that his brother's case, which is still under investigation, has been “politicised and utilised systematically to target him and his family, consequently affecting the Lower House and tarnishing its image”.      

 

In their statement, a copy of which was seen by The Jordan Times, the MPs voiced their support to all efforts seeking to protect public money and eliminate corruption, saying they received with “utmost astonishment their speaker's use of his position to serve personal issues and support cases which the Chamber has no say”. 

 

Citing the House's bylaw, the signatories argued that the speaker has “no right” to talk about issues not within the jurisdiction of the legislature.      

 

The Tarawneh tribe issued a statement recently, denouncing what they claimed as "defamation attempt" against Tarawneh, who is also the president of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union.

 

A group of Tarawneh's supporters from his family, tribe and those working at his brother's construction company and some wearing black face masks reportedly gathered in his constituency in the southern city of Karak over the weekend and threatened to use weapons, if need be.

 

Police have arrested a person who purportedly “threatened to violate law” in a video, while 11 others, who allegedly featured in the same video wearing face masks, handed themselves into police, the Public Security Department's spokesperson said on Saturday.