Jordan bans reporting on oil bribery case

AMMAN (AFP) - Jordan's military court has banned all news reports on a case of alleged graft at the country's sole oil refinery, Petra news agency said on Wednesday.

"State security court attorney general Yousef Faouri issued a decision on Tuesday banning the media from publishing news or commentaries about the refinery issue without his personal approval," the state-run agency said.

The case involves alleged graft payments which occurred as part of a 2.1-billion-dollar project to upgrade the Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company.

Former finance minister and refinery management committee chairman Adel Kudah was arrested on Wednesday along with the refinery's former executive director Ahmed Rifai.

Prominent businessmen Khaled Shahin and former economic adviser in the prime minister's office, Mohammed Rawashdeh, were also detained.

The four have been accused of "taking bribes and failing in their duties," Petra reported.

Their assets have been frozen, and they face up to five years in jail if convicted.

The allegations involve a tendering process last year to expand and modernise the refinery.

Kudah, Rifai and Rawashdeh are accused of rigging the process to secure the contract for a New Jersey-based company that Shahin represented.

Press reports about the affair had prompted the dismissal of the refinery company's top managers.

Battling corruption has been a major platform of the kingdom's new government, formed by Prime Minister Samir Rifai in December.