Man charged for allegedly killing friend over JD700 debt

AMMAN — The criminal court prosecutor on Wednesday charged a 36-year-old man with premeditated murder in connection with the shooting death of his friend over a JD700 debt a day earlier in an Amman neighbourhood, official sources said.

A 33-year-old man, who is a relative of the suspect, was charged with complicity in premeditated murder by Criminal Court Prosecutor Issam Haddidi, a senior judicial source said.

On Tuesday night, the victim was found shot dead in his family home and coroners at the scene said he was shot five times, a senior official source said.

Investigators collected evidence at the scene and questioned family members and relatives of the victim, the official source noted.

“Investigators concluded that the two suspects were involved in the shooting death of the victim,” the official source added.

When brought for questioning and after being confronted with evidence, the main suspect in the case confessed, a senior judicial source that is close to the investigations said.

“The main suspect claimed that the victim’s sister borrowed JD1,000 and asked the suspect’s wife to guarantee the debt,” the source said.

The sister was paying JD50 a month, the source maintained, “but stopped recently and JD700 was left unpaid”.

“The suspect headed to the victim’s house with a relative and asked him to pay the money so his wife would not get in legal trouble but the victim refused,” the source said, citing the suspect’s initial confession.

An argument ensued, the judicial source noted, and the suspect “drew a gun and shot the victim six times. Five bullets hit him in the chest and waist”.

The second suspect was downstairs waiting in the car with the engine running, the source added.

Haddidi ordered both suspects detained at a correctional and rehabilitation centre for 15 days pending further investigations.