AMAN Coalition renews its call for tighter oversight and accountability
for the laundering of settlement dates
The Ramallah Magistrate’s Court adjourns the hearing of the case against the AMAN Coalition in light of the lawsuit filed against it by the Presidency Office regarding the content of its 2023 annual report about the sale of settlements date under a Palestinian label
RAMALLAH - On Sunday morning, the Ramallah Magistrate's Court postponed the hearing of the lawsuit filed against the Coalition for Integrity and Accountability - AMAN by the Presidential Office to a sixth session, set for January 14, 2025, at the request of the Public Prosecution to give it time to review and study the written defense evidence submitted by the Coalition to the court.
AMAN's trial comes against the backdrop of what was revealed in its fifteenth report issued in May 2023, entitled: The Reality of Integrity and Anti-Corruption in Palestine for the Year 2022 under the slogan: “Occupation, Division and Political Corruption, a closed loop that feeds each other.” The circumstances of the crime of laundering settlement dates, the relationship of public officials to the case, and attempts to treat it outside the normal course of investigation were revealed.
AMAN was charged with several charges, most notably defamation and libel, in violation of Article 191 of the Jordanian Penal Code No. 16 of 1960.
In light of the start of this year's date harvesting season, AMAN reiterates its call for the need to strengthen official and societal monitoring efforts and take preventive measures to prevent some companies from circumventing Law No. 4 of 2010 on banning and combating settlement products, including dates, with the cooperation of public officials in some cases, as some companies repackage settlement dates, label them with Palestinian or Arab names, and sell them in the Palestinian market or export them as national products, exploiting the certificates of origin granted to companies supplying dates. AMAN also emphasized its repeated demand that any case in this regard must be handled through natural channels, whether in the investigation or litigation phase, and that everyone (officials, large traders, or those involved) must be subjected to the rule of law. AMAN encourages citizens to report any sightings of practices related to this crime to the Anti-Corruption Commission, noting that it also provides legal advice and counseling to whistleblowers, witnesses, and victims of corruption.
