A Dhaka 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 Taka 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 hearing in the case. The court meanwhile, issued arrest warrant against accused Grameen Telecom director Md Shahjahan as he failed to appear before the court for today’s hearing.
Investigation officer in the case and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) deputy director Gulshan Anwar on February 1 filed the charge-sheet against a total 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 on the company’s 108th board meeting, presided over by Dr Yunus on May 9, 2022, to open a bank account at Gulshan branch of Dhaka Bank Limited. But it was found that the account was opened a day before the decision was even made.
More than Taka 26 crore was transferred to the account on different occasions, as per ‘fake settlement agreements’ and 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 Taka 25 crore from the fund.