| Jordan said yesterday that a prison cell still awaited Washingtonâs former Iraq favourite Ahmad Chalabi in the kingdom where he was convicted in his absence of embezzling millions in a bank scandal. US officials had earlier said they cut off funding to Chalabi, a member of Iraqâs US-appointed Governing Council. âChalabi was sentenced in Jordan and he is wanted for the verdict to be carried out,â Jordanian government spokeswoman Asma Khader said. She did not say if Jordan was actively seeking the former bankerâs extradition. Chalabi was convicted by a Jordanian court in 1992 of embezzling millions from Petra Bank whose 1989 collapse shook Jordanâs political and financial system, forcing it to spend in excess of $400m to bail out depositors. A sentence of 22 years hard labour awaits the man who was once one of Jordanâs most influential figures. |