Testimony in embezzlement case against Dr Yunus, 13 others 5 August

A Dhaka court today set 5 August for recording deposition in a money embezzlement case filed against 14, including Dr Muhammad Yunus. 

Today was scheduled for theA testimony. During the hearing this morning, lawyers of the defendants made an application to postpone the testimony, as a separate case challenging the validity of the charge sheets pressed against the accused was pending in the High Court.

However, prosecutors of the Anti-Corruption Committee (ACC) strongly deferred to the defendants' lawyer, requesting the court to record the deposition today.

After hearing, Judge Rabiul Islam of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 set the date afresh.

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 Tk26 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 Tk25 crore from the fund.

The 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.