The High Court (HC) today dismissed an appeal
for cancellation of an embezzlement case against seven including Grameen
Telecom Chairman Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus, filed by the Anti-Corruption
Commission (ACC).
A High Court division bench comprising Justice M. Nazrul Islam Talukder and
Justice Kazi Ibadat Hossain scrapped the Nobel laureate’s plea followed by a
short hearing this afternoon.
“The charges were framed upon primary evidence. The defendants’ were unable
to produce any reasonable proof against the allegations made against them and
so, the plea was dismissed,” ACC’s lawyer Advocate Khurshid Alam told
journalists.
According to the case documents, a decision was made at the company’s 108th
board meeting, presided over by Dr Yunus on May 9, 2022, to open a bank
account at the Gulshan branch of Dhaka Bank Limited. However, it was found
that the account was opened a day before the decision was even made.
Over Taka 26 crore was transferred to the account on different occasions, as
per ‘fa
ke settlement agreements’. But before even distributing the share of
the company’s profit to the workers, and letting them know, the accused
embezzled around Taka 25 crore from the fund.
The accused in the case are– Grameen Telecom Chairman and Nobel Laureate Dr
Muhammad Yunus, its Managing Director (MD) Nazmul Islam, Directors Ashraful
Hasan, Naznin Sultana, Parvin Mahmud, Md Shahjahan, Nurjahan Begum and Prof
SM Huzzatul Islam Latifee, President of ‘Grameen Telecom Sramik-Karmachari
Union’ Md Kamruzzaman and its General Secretary Firoz Mahmud Hasan, lawyers
Zafrul Hasan Sharif and Yusuf Ali, Union’s representative Md Mainul Islam and
Jatiya Workers Federation’s Office Secretary Kamrul Hasan.
Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha