Money embezzlement case: Dhaka court accepts charge sheet against Dr Yunus, 13 others
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A Dhaka court on Tuesday took into cognizance the charge sheet filed in a case against Grameen Telecom Chairman and Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus and 13 others for allegedly embezzling Tk 250 million (Tk 25 crore) from the company and laundering abroad.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Ash Shams Zaglul Hossain passed the order and sent the case to Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 for further proceedings. The court also set May 2 for holding a hearing in the case, reports BSS.
The court, meanwhile, issued an arrest warrant against accused Grameen Telecom director Md Shahjahan as he failed to appear before the court for Tuesday's hearing.
The investigation officer in the case and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) deputy director Gulshan Anwar on February 1 filed the charge sheet against a total of 14 accused.
The accused 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.
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.
More than Tk 260 million (Tk 26 crore) was transferred to the account on different occasions, as per 'fake settlement agreements' and the decision of the board. But before even distributing the share of the company's profit to the workers, and letting them know, the accused embezzled around Tk 250 million (Tk 25 crore) from the fund.