(MENAFN- Jordan Times) AMMAN
-
The Aqaba Court of First Instance on Sunday sentenced five
officials to three years in prison each in a criminal case
over last
June's
toxic chlorine gas leak
in
Aqaba,
which resulted in
13 deaths
and
110
injuries.The court also
acquitted
five other officials standing trial in the same case for lack of evidence, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
Ten
defendants
stood
trial on charges of causing death, causing harm and damage against another's property, as well as
for
violations
of the management system of hazardous materials and waste issued under the Environment Protection Act.
The court also found the Aqaba Company for Ports Operation and Management
(ACPOM)
guilty of several charges,
and ordered the establishment to pay JD3,000 in fines, according to
Petra.
The victims of the vessel involved in the
June 27
accident, which is registered in Hong Kong, included eight Jordanians
and
five Vietnamese crew members.
The court indicated in its ruling that the procedures followed in relation to the shipment of chlorine gas were not commensurate with the seriousness of
the
substance.
In terms of public safety procedures, the court ruled that
the individuals in charge of providing
follow-up and close supervision of the loading and unloading operations
did so
insufficiently.
The verdict is subject to appeal at a higher court by the defendants.
The government announced in early July 2022 that the main cause of the toxic gas leak at the Aqaba port was the lack of conformity of the metallic cable to the weight of the cargo, snapping the cable.
The government also said that a report of the incident showed
a lack of
necessary
public safety
precautions in handling such hazardous items.
The investigation also showed that some officials delegated tasks to untrained personnel, pointing to "negligence and lack of precautionary measures",according to government officials.
Shortly following the disastrous incident, the government
terminated the
services
of
several
officials,
including the
Directors General
of the Jordan Maritime Commission and the ACPOM, and other officials at the company. The Cabinet also approved
a decision to dissolve
thecompany's
board of directors.
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