Man arrested over death of colleague near Sahab industrial estate

AMMAN — Authorities on Saturday said they had arrested an Asian national, who reportedly murdered his colleague in Sahab over the weekend in an alleged argument over money, official sources said. 

The victim’s body was found behind the King Abdullah II Industrial Estate (KAIE) on Friday night “with blood under his head, that was badly beaten”, a senior judicial source said.

“It was evident to us that the victim, who had been dead for almost 10 hours, was murdered in the same place he was found,” the senior judicial source told The Jordan Times.

Investigators found the victim’s mobile phone under his body and a gold necklace around his neck and “ruled out robbery as the motive for the time being”, the judicial source added.

Police on Saturday said the suspect confessed to allegedly murdering the victim over a financial dispute, but did not elaborate further. 

“The suspect claimed that he met with the victim in a secluded area and they started arguing, so he struck him on his head with a wooden stick that was close by,” according to a statement by the Public Security Department (PSD).

Criminal Court Prosecutor Omar Hiari, who is handling the case, was scheduled to start questioning the suspect on Saturday night and was expected to file premeditated murder charges.

“The charges will depend on the outcome of the questioning of the suspect and other relevant witnesses,” the judicial source explained.

Hiari ordered that the mobile phone found under the victim be sent to the Electronic Crime Division at the PSD for further analysis.

Hiari also ordered that blood and tissue samples taken from the victim be sent to the criminal lab for further analysis, the source added.

A second source told The Jordan Times that police have formed several investigative teams to “question owners of businesses at the KAIE and employees working there in case the victim worked there”.