HC orders to finish trial in one year

The High Court (HC) on Wednesday ordered the lower court concerned to complete the trial of the money laundering (ML) case, filed against Nobel Laureate Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus and 13 others, within one year without any delay.

The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Ebadoth Hossain passed the order after hearing a petition, filed by the seven accused including Prof Yunus, seeking quashment of the case. The HC bench also summarily rejected their petition.

Barrister Abdullah Al Mamun, a counsel of the petitioners, told the FE that they would move to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the HC order.

Khurshid Alam Khan, a counsel of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), said the HC order has cleared the way for the lower court concerned to resume its proceedings in the case.

The ACC filed the case against Prof Yunus and 12 others with its Integrated District Office no-1 in Dhaka in May 2023. An accused was included after investigation.

It was alleged in the case that the accused embezzled Tk 252.2 million from Grameen Telecom Workers' Profit Participation Fund, and transferred it illegally, which is an offence under the Money Laundering Prevention Act.

Gulshan Anwar Prodhan, investigation officer of the case and deputy director of the ACC, submitted the charge-sheet against Prof Yunus and 13 others in the case on February 1 this year.

A Dhaka court on June 12 framed charges against all the 14 accused in the case, filed on the charges of embezzling and laundering Tk 252.2 million.

In July, Prof Yunus and six other accused filed a petition with the HC, seeking quashment of the case. Upon hearing the petition, the HC bench summarily rejected it.

Meanwhile, two more petitions, filed challenging the charge framing order by the other accused of the case, are still pending before the two HC benches. However, it would not create any bar in resuming the trial proceedings, opined the ACC lawyer.

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