Jordan jails ex-spy chief for corruption

A Jordanian court on Sunday sentenced former spy chief Mohammed Dahabi to 13 years in jail with hard labour and ordered him to pay a 21-million-dinar ($29-million) fine after finding him guilty of corruption. Dahabi, a general who ran the intelligence department from 2005 to 2008, was detained in February and charged with money laundering, abuse of power and embezzlement. "The criminal court today sentenced Dahabi to 13 years in jail. He will also pay a 21-million-dinar fine. The court also decided to confiscate 24 million dinars of his assets," a court official told AFP. One of his lawyers said he plans to appeal the verdict. Following Dahabi's detention, Jordan's general prosecutor barred him from leaving the country and had his assets frozen after the central bank lodged a complaint against him. Fighting corruption is one of the main challenges identified by King Abdullah II to meet demands of Jordanians for sweeping reforms.