Family of Holiday Inn food poisoning victims to sue ‘rumour-mongers’

AMMAN — The Oweiwi family, two members of whom died of food poisoning after eating at the Holiday Inn Resort Dead Sea in October, said on Tuesday it will file a lawsuit against those who spread “harmful rumours”.

Cerine Shawar, a 28-year-old dentist, and her three-year-old son Eziddin Oweiwi died one day apart on October 15 and 16 after consuming a meal from one of the hotel’s restaurants.

Earlier this month, the Amman prosecutor general charged the administration of the hotel of causing their death after determining that the resort did not follow standard health procedures when preparing the meals, which led to transmitting deadly bacteria to the mother and her son.

The prosecutor charged the hotel’s general manager and several employees with causing the deaths and referred them to the relevant court,

At a press conference on Tuesday evening, Oweiwi family members noted that some “seriously harmful” rumours were spread — before the prosecutor general’s decision — accusing Alaa Oweiwi, the husband and father of the victims, of being responsible for their death.

“Such rumours were very harmful to the family,” said Ezziddin Oweiwi, the deceased child’s grandfather, voicing his confidence in the integrity of the judiciary.

The mother and son had consumed burgers along with other family members on October 13, after which they started exhibiting symptoms of food poisoning.

The resort’s nurse was called to check on their situation and the family was then taken to Southern Shuneh Hospital and later transported to a hospital in Amman.

On the way, the boy, Eziddin, died in his parents’ arms and the following day the mother passed away.

Shawar’s husband and eight-month-old daughter were discharged from hospital after receiving treatment for food poisoning.

The family members, who live in Saudi Arabia, were vacationing at the Dead Sea.