ACC approves charge sheet against Yunus, 13 others

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has approved a charge sheet against Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus and 13 others for allegedly embezzling Tk 252.20 million from Grameen Telecom's Workers' Profit Participation Fund.

The commission at a meeting at its headquarters on Monday approved the chargesheet, which now includes an additional accused not named in the initial report.

According to ACC sources, Md Kamrul Hasan's involvement surfaced during the investigation, prompting his inclusion in the chargesheet. ACC Deputy Director Gulshan Anwar Prodhan will submit the chargesheet to the court shortly.

In May last year, Dr Yunus and 12 others were accused of misappropriating over Tk 252.20 from the Grameen Telecom Welfare Fund, leading to the ACC's case against them.

ACC's Deputy Director Gulshan Anwar Prodhan is the plaintiff in the case.

The ACC alleges that on 9 May 2022, at a meeting attended by Grameen Telecom Chairman Dr Yunus and Managing Director Nazmul Islam, among other board members, an account was opened at the Gulshan branch of Dhaka Bank based on a decision by the company's 108th board meeting.

This followed a settlement agreement reached on 27 April between the Grameen Telecom Workers' Union and Grameen Telecom for the distribution of employees' outstanding dividends.

The ACC alleges that Grameen Telecom Chairman Dr Yunus, Managing Director Md Nazmul Islam, the board members, Grameen Telecom's Central Bargaining Agent (CBA) leaders, lawyers and other individuals involved colluded to misappropriate over Tk 252.20 million from the workers' profit participation fund.

This, according to the ACC, constitutes an offence punishable under relevant sections of the Penal Code, 1860 and the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012.

Apart from Dr Yunus, other accused named in the chargesheet are Md Nazmul Islam (50), managing director of Grameen Telecom; Md Ashraful Hasan (63), director and ex-managing director of Grameen Telecom; Parveen Mahmud (62), director of Grameen Telecom; Nazneen Sultana (61), director of Grameen Telecom; Md Shahjahan (65), director of Grameen Telecom; Nurjahan Begum (72), director of Grameen Telecom; S M Hajjatul Islam Latifi (62), director of Grameen Telecom; Advocate Md Yusuf Ali (42); Advocate Zafrul Hasan Sharif (47); Md Kamruzzaman (39), president of Grameen Telecom Sramik-Karmachari Union; Feroz Mahmud Hasan (43), general secretary of Grameen Telecom Sramik-Karmachari Union; and Md Mainul Islam (40), representative of Grameen Telecom Sramik-Karmachari Union and its office secretary Md Kamrul Hasan.

Earlier, the ACC filed the case under Sections 409/420/467/468/471/109 of the Penal Code and Sections 4(2) and (3) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012.

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