Jordan former intelligence chief jailed for corruption

Mohammed al-Dahabi, who was head of Jordan's intelligence service from 2005 to 2008, was accused of embezzling public funds, money laundering and abuse of office.

The court in Amman ordered him to repay nearly $30m (£19m) to the state, and sentenced him to 13 years' in prison.

"You deserve the harshest punishment for being a traitor to the people who trusted you with a government position and state funds," judge Nashaat Akhras told Dahabi.

The sentence comes in the wake of pressure on Jordan's leaders in recent months from street protesters demanding that corruption be tackled.

The lengthy sentence for such a high-profile figure is being interpreted as a sign to the dissatisfied Jordanians that the authorities are serious about tackling the issue.

Dahabi was arrested in February after the Central Bank of Jordan became suspicious of the large transactions going through his account.