AMMAN — Lawmakers plan to question officials from the Social Security Investment Fund (SSIF) next week as “new information” surfaced regarding a lawsuit against the agency, an MP said.
Head of the Integrity Committee, MP Mustafa Rawashdeh, told The Jordan Times on Wednesday that the case will be discussed behind closed doors in details with the SSIF executives.
Last year, a Qatari company claimed it bought the fund’s stake in one of the country’s leading commercial banks and filed an arbitration case with a Swiss court as the Jordanian side allegedly did not honour the agreement.
“Our information is from internal sources,” he said, describing the new data as “substantial”.
He stopped short of divulging more details on the case, which triggered public outcry when it was revealed by the new SSIF chief, Suleiman Hafez, in a move praised by observers as “transparent”.
The former head of the fund, Yasser Odwan, denied he signed any deal to sell the stake, but a local news website published recently what it said were documents proving that there was exchange of letters between the two entities signed by Odwan.
The Qatari investor requested the SSIF to pay over JD93 million for failing to implement its part in the alleged agreement to sell its stake in The Housing Bank for Trade and Finance.
Hafez said in his statement that the fund was “surprised” to receive an e-mail on November 13, 2013 and a registered mail 10 days later with a hard copy of the subpoena to attend arbitration in a court in Zurich, Switzerland.
A deputy who spoke on condition of anonymity said Wednesday: “We should have sent this file to the Prosecutor General,” charging that the SSIF has seen mismanagement or corrupt behaviour since its inception.
