Ammon News - by Omar Obeidat/ Jordan Times

AMMAN –– The government referred the controversial Socio-Economic Transformation Plan to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) last week, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said Saturday.

At a meeting with chief editors of daily newspapers and columnists, Ensour said the programme, supervised by then-planning minister Bassem Awadallah, was sent to the ACC to investigate suspicions of corruption after the Audit Bureau found that over JD30 million had gone missing.

The controversial programme, worth around JD750 million, was launched in November 2001 upon Royal directives with the goal of accelerating the pace of social and economic reforms and raising the quality of citizens’ living standards.

The premier indicated that the government referred the programme to the attorney general around a month ago, noting that the official then recommended sending the case to the ACC.

Ensour said the Audit Bureau had checked the money disbursed under the programme, as well as the efficiency of the plan.

At the meeting, the prime minister talked about various economic and political issues of concern to the Kingdom and Jordanians, particularly the government’s plan to raise electricity prices in the coming weeks.