A Jordanian MP who was charged with smuggling weapons into the Israeli-occupied West Bank will go on trial next week, officials said on Wednesday.
The case of Imad Adwan, who comes from an influential clan, has highlighted Jordan’s complex ties with Israel and tribal dynamics that can affect the political system in the kingdom.
Officials said the trial, to be held privately in a secure court, will start next Tuesday, after Mr Adwan’s lawyer, Ali Mubaidin, submitted a last-minute motion questioning the indictment.
“The trial was supposed to start today but the motion delayed it,” an official, who did not want to be named, said on Wednesday.
No media, nor anyone other than Mr Adwan’s lawyer, are allowed at the trial, similar to most cases handled by the security court. Thirteen suspected accomplices, who have not been identified, will go on trial with Mr Adwan on Tuesday.
The official said Mr Adwan’s lawyer asked to dismiss the case over “lack of physical evidence” and on the grounds that the prosecution had built the allegations on hearsay.
He said another lawyer for one of the 13 defendants also had sent a written objection to the court, stating his client was motivated by profit, not terrorism, so the case should not be tried by the security court.
In April, Israeli security personnel arrested Mr Adwan at the Allenby Bridge on the Jordan river that separates the two countries. He was later handed over to Jordanian authorities.
In his car were 194 handguns and 12 rifles, according to Israeli media, which based its reports on an investigation by Shin Bet, Israel's security agency.
Mr Adwan sat on the parliament’s Palestine Committee, which monitors Israeli violations in occupied Palestinian territories, in line with official Jordanian policy of denouncing Israeli pressure on the West Bank and Gaza.
Jordan, however, has close security co-operation with Israel and the countries are main recipients of US aid.
When Mr Adwan was arrested, members of his tribe staged protests in the Jordan Valley and sought to portray him as a resistance hero.
The Adwans, together with other tribes east of the Jordan river, played a main role in the formation of Jordan as a British protectorate in 1921 and became the main strata underpinning the security forces.
All significant powers in Jordan lie with King Abdullah II. The 130-member parliament, which is comprised mainly of tribal deputies, is awarded airtime in state media, helping to raise the profile of its members and perceived societal status.
Among the perks of being in the legislature is a diplomatic passport, which Mr Adwan is suspected of having used to facilitate smuggling.
According to the Jordanian indictment, Mr Adwan received a commission of $1,400 for every piece of weaponry and $700 for every kilogram of gold he smuggled in his car.
The vehicle, a Lexus, received “special treatment” at the crossing, the document claimed.
The weapons it was alleged to be carrying when Mr Adwan was arrested on April 22 were said to have been supplied by a gun dealer in the city of Madaba, near Amman, packed in two suitcases.
“He aroused the suspicion of the Israeli authorities,” the indictment said.
