A court here today set June 12 for
passing its order on charge framing in a case against Grameen
Telecom Chairman and Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus and
13 others for allegedly embezzling Taka 25 crore from the
company and laundering abroad.
Judge Syed Arafat Hossain of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 set the
date as public prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kazal today took part
in the indictment hearing and pleaded for framing charges against
the accused. The defence, however, argued for acquitting the
accused from the charges.
After hearing both sides, the court set June 12 for passing its
order.
The 14 accused in the case are- Grameen Telecom Chairman and
Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Grameen Telecom
Managing Director (MD) Nazmul Islam, Directors Ashraful Hasan,
Naznin Sultana, Parvin Mahmud, Md Shahjahan, Nurjahan Begum
and Professor 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.
The investigation officer in the case and Anti-Corruption
Commission (ACC) deputy director Gulshan Anwar on February 1
filed the charge sheet against 14 accused.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court on April 2, 2024, took
into cognizance the charge sheet filed in the case and sent the case
to Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 for further proceedings.
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 ‘fake 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.
Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha