The Amman Magistrate’s Court of Misdemeanors issued a judicial ruling to imprison a father and his son for one year, after convicting them of stealing a manhole cover owned by the Greater Amman Municipality and selling it to a scrap shop at a low price.
The details of the sentence and fines were outlined by the panel, chaired by Judge Atiya Al-Saud, who found the defendants guilty of theft involving two or more persons, contrary to the provisions of the Penal Code in relation to the Economic Crimes Law according to the Roya TV station
The court also obligated the father and son - in accordance with Article Four of the Economic Crimes Law - to pay jointly and severally the value of the stolen items "75 dinars", in addition to covering the legal expenses totalling 80 dinars shared between them.
From surveillance cameras to the grip of security
The background of the case traces back to a report received by the Public Security operations about a vehicle involved in stealing sanitary drain covers in the "Western Arm" area of the capital.
Upon immediate response and reviewing the surveillance cameras at the site, a white "Kia pickup" with a black front was spotted. Two individuals disembarked from it, removed a manhole cover in the public street, stole it, then fled the scene.
After the vehicle was stopped and the defendants were arrested, the father confessed during the interrogation to committing the theft with the help of his twenty-year-old son, confirming that they sold the stolen cover to a scrap shop for only 75 dinars.
The court firmly believed that the actions of the defendants were targeted at "public property" "properties of the Greater Amman Municipality", and that they ceased the owner's possession of this property and appeared as the owners unlawfully, which necessitated their conviction and an enhanced punishment to deter assaults on public property.
