Ammon News - AMMAN - A court of the first instance in Amman on Thursday sentenced the president of the Wihdat sports club, Tareq Khoury, to two years in jail after finding him guilty of insulting a policeman, judicial sources said.

The unnamed policeman filed a lawsuit against Khoury after a quarrel between the two men in the aftermath of a football game with Wihdat's main football rival, the Faisali club team, in March.

Khoury, a former lawmaker, was scheduled to travel to Doha, Qatar, later Thursday for an interview with Aljazeera television, due to deal mainly with the rioting that erupted on December 10 at King Abdullah Stadium in an Amman suburb following a football game with Faisali.

Wihdat defeated Faisali 1-0, boosting its lead in the run-up for the national league competition.

Khoury then accused police forces of committing a 'massacre' against Wihdat fans, a remark that drew sharp reactions from Jordanian officials and politicians, including Interior Minister Saar Srour.

At least 150 people were injured, including 20 policemen, in the incident that sparked widespread concerns over the country's national unity.

Wihdat, which carries the name of a Palestinian refugee camp, is composed mainly of Jordanians of Palestinian origin while Faisali's members are predominantly native Jordanians. Jordan is home to about 2 million Palestinian refugees who enjoy full citizenship.

The Interior Ministry has set up a committee to investigate the clashes which erupted when Wihdat fans started celebrating their win after the fans of the rival team had already left the stadium as part of a prior arrangement.

The verdict can be appealed within 30 days, judicial sources said. (DPA)