Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Council decided on Monday to refer the corruption case of the Jordan Phosphates Mines Corporation (JPMC) to the Public Prosecutor on suspected corruption in the phosphates mining tenders granted by the company.

The investigation into the case revealed various violations related to JPMC Board Chairman and CEO Walid Kurdi granting contracts and tenders to a specific mining company to operate in el-Shaidiyyah Mines, whereas the company laws stipulated competition on bids issued by the company on the basis of fair and equal opportunities to implement mining, exploration, and production operations.

For purposes of assigning mining operations, a limited liability company, Manajim, was established in 2007, where JPMC owned 26 percent of its shares, and the Jordan Economic Development and Trading Company (COMEDAT) owned 74 percent.

Walid Kurdi was elected as Chairman of the Board for both companies invested in Manajim.

In 2008, COMEDAT sold 30 percent of its share to a British company registered in the Virgin Islands and another company also registered in the Virgin Islands, the ownership of which was not disclosed in the investigation.

The ACC probe into suspected corruption revealed an increased cost of mining assumed by JPMC as a result of adopting an assignment policy rather than the fair bidding policy stipulated by JPMC tender-granting laws.

The mining operations were assigned to 'Manajim,' which is majority owned by COMEDAT and whose owner's sister serves as the General Manager. COMEDAT signed mining deals with the company owned by the general manager and managed by his sister.

The mining deals were conducted between the brother, the General Manager of Manajim, and his sister, who assumes the position of General Manager of COMEDAT.

The ACC probe also revealed that former Chairman and CEO of JPMC Kurdi assigned mining operations tenders in Al Hassa and Al Abyad mines to "Al Awn," a contracting company, with a total cost of JD 40 million in early 2011.

In mid-2011, another corporation was established, owned by both JPMC and Al Awn contracting company, called "Arkan Corporation for Construction and Mining Contracting."

Anti-Corruption investigators noted that the probe is still ongoing investigating other suspected corruption deals and violations in JPMC, some of which are related to maintenance and remodeling company buildings deals.

It is noted that the suspected corruption cases referred by ACC to the Public Prosecutor are limited to violations committed by the former management of JPMC headed by Kurdi before the entry of a strategic partner, and do not include the privatization deal corruption case that had been probed last year by the Lower House of Parliament.

Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC) is a Jordan-based public shareholding company engaged in exploiting, mining, producing and marketing phosphate rock and fertilizers in Jordan.