However, the chamber voted with more than two-third majority to implicate former Tourism Minister Osama Dabbas in the run-up for impeaching him by a parliamentary panel.

Scores of the candidates withdrew from the session to protest the failure to implicate Bakhit, prompting Speaker Faisal Fayez to adjourn the debate.

Wrangling and verbal exchanges were also reported among the audience on the house’s balconies in response to the outcome of the voting.

Under the 2007 casino agreement, Bakhit’s first government authorized a London-based investor to build a casino on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea.

But, one week after approving the deal, officials in charge decided to put the brakes on the agreement until further notice.

The government of Nader Dahabi, who succeeded Bakhit as prime minister, announced in 2008 that his Cabinet had renegotiated the deal to spare the treasury 2 billion dollars in fines for the annulment of the original accord which he said was injurious to the Jordanian interests.

The House of Representatives held a special session on Monday to discuss the findings of an ad hoc committee that was formed earlier this year to probe any wrongdoings in the casino deal.

The panel, which was chaired by a lawmaker, accused at least 17 ministers of Bakhit’s first Cabinet, including the premier, of “abuse of power.”

Bakhit defended himself during the debate, denying he was involved an exploitation of power in the casino deal that sparked a series of demonstrations across the country over the past few weeks.

The country’s watchdog, the Anti-Corruption Commission, started a probe into the case recently but later referred the file to the Parliament, saying it was the only entity authorized to impeach ministers according to the constitution.