Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Board on Thursday decided to refer the case of the government's permission to a convicted business tycoon to travel abroad last February to the Prime Minister after an investigation revealed legal violations.

The independent Anti-Corruption Commission investigation into the government's decision to allow convicted businessman Khalid Shaheen to travel abroad last February revealed legal transgressions and lack of necessary guarantees to ensure his return.

Shaheen was allowed to depart Jordan in February while he was serving a 3-year sentence on bribery charges in the Jordan Petroleum Refinery Co. expansion case under the pretext of seeking medical care in the United States.

The government's permission to Shaheen to travel quickly turned into a scandal after local media outlets reported citing Shaheen dining in a London restaurant with his family.

The government later revealed that Shaheen did not travel to the US, as his entry visa to the country was revoked following his conviction by the State Security Court in 2010.

ACC on Thursday decided to refer the case to Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh over legal transgressions on the part of the previous government of ex-Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit.

The case thereafter will be referred to the Lower House of Parliament for legal measures in accordance with the Constitution which stipulates parliament's jurisdiction over indictment of ministers.