JORANIAN SUPPORT FOR THE IRAQI ASSET HUNT

S E C R E T AMMAN 005947 SIPDIS NOFORN TREASURY FOR BFOX/BMURDEN/JZARATE/PASHIN NSC FOR JMYERS CPA FOR GEORGE WOLFE E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/16/2008 TAGS: EFIN ETTC IZ JO SUBJECT: JORANIAN SUPPORT FOR THE IRAQI ASSET HUNT REF: A. AMMAN 5491 ¶B. STATE 247694 ¶C. STATE 194838 Classified By: David M. Hale, Charge d'Affaires a.i. ¶1. (S/NF) Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) Deputy Governor Mohamed Said Shahin phoned ECON/C September 15 with the following bank account information for companies suspected of being linked to Uday Hussein (refs b and c). Shahin said he was acting on the instructions of CBJ Governor Toukan at the request of Prime Minister Abul Ragheb. ¶2. (S/NF) The following information resulted from the CBJ's search of Jordan National Bank records for the period January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2001. Al-Huda Company for General Trade: Shahin said only trivial amounts were found in accounts maintained by this company. Al-Handal Company: No accounts in the name of this company were located. Elba House: Shahin noted that this is a Jordanian company that did legitimate business in Jordan. He said that the amounts in the companies accounts during the period were consistent with the requirements of normal business transactions. No suspicious activity was evident. Nabil Karam Company: No accounts in the name of this company were located. Alwasel and Babel Trading Company: No accounts in the name of this company were located. Al Eman Commercial Investment Establishment and its subsidiaries: Trivial or zero balances were held in accounts in the name of this company. ¶3. (S/NF) Embassy Comment: The CBJ no doubt acted quickly to provide this information before September 16 discussions between the Prime Minister and Treasury and State officials in Washington. The scope of the information provided seems only partially responsive to the request for broad company information made by Treasury investigators. As is the case for requests for access to Jordanian individuals and government officials, such information would have to come from other Jordanian government authorities -- who would only be in a position to provide it at the instruction of the Prime Minister. End Comment. HALE