Police hunt for suspects who threatened Maan judicial official

AMMAN — Police are searching for suspects who reportedly broke into the house of a judicial official in Maan and stuck a dagger into his pillow on Sunday night, according to an official source.

“No one has been arrested so far and the assailants remain unknown to us,” a police official told The Jordan Times on Monday.

The Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted the Interior Ministry as saying that “threatening the prosecutor general with death is part of similar threats that the judicial branch in Maan was subjected to recently by unknown individuals”.

Last week, the vehicle of a Maan judge was stolen and a criminal prosecutor was assaulted by hooded men in the central market of the southern city, some 220km south of Amman, Petra reported.

The incidents follow a period of unrest witnessed in Maan two weeks ago during which one person was killed, and several others were injured, including policemen who were guarding a courtroom. 

Some government properties, shops and banks were also targeted and vandalised by angry residents who also blocked some roads using burnt tyres.

Maan Mayor Majed Sharari claimed that the dagger-pillow incident was “staged by the government to use as an excuse to re-enter the city”. 

“They [authorities] just want an excuse to stir things up since the situation is still tense in the city, although it is calm now, to enter again,” Sharari told The Jordan Times.

The government has not arrested any of the 19 wanted men that Interior Minister Hussein Majali said were targeted recently.

“The government said they are looking for some wanted individuals but no efforts were made by anyone to arrest them,” Sharari charged.