Yunus, 6 others of Grameen Telecom get SC nod to appeal in embezzlement case
The apex court has also fixed 19 November for the appeal hearing
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today (21 October) permitted Prof Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser of the interim government, and six other officials of Grameen Telecom to appeal against a High Court order that upheld the indictment against them in a Tk25 crore embezzlement case.
The Appellate Division bench led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed also fixed 19 November for the appeal hearing.
Barrister Abdullah Al Mamun stood for the appellants, while Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman represented the state and lawyer AKM Fazlul Haque represented the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
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The six others are current Grameen Telecom Managing Director (MD) Md Nazmul Islam, former MD and current Chairman Md Ashraful Hassan, former director and current health adviser Nurjahan Begum, and current Directors Nazneen Sultana, M Shahjahan and SM Huzzatul Islam Latifee.
ACC Deputy Director Gulshan Anwar filed the case on May 30, 2023, against Prof Yunus and 13 others, accusing them of misappropriating around Tk 25.22 crore from Grameen Telecom Workers' Profit Participation Fund and money laundering.
The ACC submitted the charge sheet in court against the 14 accused on 1 February this year.
On 12 June, Judge Syed Arafat Hossain of the Dhaka Special Judge's Court 4 framed charges against all 14 accused in the case lodged under the Money Laundering Prevention Act.
The other accused are Parvin Mahmud, Sramik-Karmachari Union President Kamruzzaman, General Secretary Firoz Mahmud Hasan and representative Mainul Islam, Jatiya Workers Federation Office Secretary Kamrul Hasan, and lawyers Zafrul Hasan Sharif and Md Yousuf Ali. All 14 are out on bail.
Nobel Laureate Yunus and the six others on 8 July submitted an application to the High Court challenging the legality of the charge framing and seeking the case's dismissal.
But the High Court on 24 July rejected the petition, leading Yunus and the others to file a leave to appeal petition on 25 August. The apex court today passed its order after hearing the leave to appeal petition.
