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| - Jordanian authorities have arrested a former aide to King Abdullah II and a number of other people for "security reasons", the official news agency Petra reported. Bassem Awadallah, chief of the royal court in 2007-2008, and Sherif Hassan bin Zaid were among those arrested, it said, quoting a security source who did not specify the number of arrests. Sherif is a title given to those close to the royal family in Jordan. The pair were detained for "security reasons" after a "close" operation, the source, adding an investigation was underway. A Jordanian official, quoted on state-run Al-Mamlaka television, dismissed media reports that Abdullah's half-brother and ex-crown prince Hamza was among those arrested. Awadallah, a former finance and planning minister, was close to the king but has also been a controversial figure in Jordan. Before becoming royal court chief in 2007, he was head of the king's cabinet in 2006. Awadallah resigned in 2008 after coming under public criticism over alleged interference in controversial political and economic issues. He had been accused by some MPs and other politicians as well as journalists of meddling in Jordan's privatisation plans. Several multi-billion-dollar deals, including a contract for Jordan's only port in Aqaba, led lawmakers at the time to demand explanations over "hidden" privatisation projects. kt/hkb/hc
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