Graft case against Dr Yunus: Court sets 3 March for probe report submission
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Asaduzzaman set the date as the investigation officer of the case failed to submit the report before the court today
A Dhaka court on Wednesday set 3 March for submission of the probe report in a case filed against Grameen Telecom Chairman and Nobel Laureate Dr Mohammad Yunus and 12 others for misappropriating more than Tk25 crore from the company.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Asaduzzaman set the date as the investigation officer of the case failed to submit the report before the court today (3 January).
Earlier on 30 May last year, the ACC filed the case against Dr Muhammad Yunus and 12 others for their alleged involvement in misappropriating the money.
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The other accused in the case are- Grameen Telecom Managing Director Nazmul Islam, directors Ashraful Hasan, Naznin Sultana, Parvin Mahmud, Md Shahjahan, Nurjahan Begum and SM Huzzatul Islam Latifee, Sramik-Karmachari Union President Md Kamruzzaman and General Secretary Firoz Mahmud Hasan, lawyers Zafrul Hasan Sharif and Yusuf Ali and representative Md Mainul Islam.
According to the ACC, the case was filed after a preliminary investigation against the accused found "the allegations of embezzlement and money laundering was true." The case has been registered under the Money Laundering Prevention Act.
On 23 July 2022, the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) sent a formal letter to ACC to investigate the allegations of embezzlement of workers' money against Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus.
According to the complaint, most of Grameen Telecom's transactions since 1996 have been suspicious. The organisation also requested an investigation into the money laundering complaints of workers given to the ILO.
The letter also said around Tk2,977 crore suspicious transactions have been made in the subsidiaries of Grameen Telecom so far, and the whole matter needs detailed investigation.
It further says the workers were supposed to be given certain shares, which Dr Yunus deprived them of.
According to the complaint, Grameen Telecom was supposed to give Tk45.52 crore to the Workers Welfare Foundation but did not give the money. The interest of the country has been disturbed here as well.
In a letter sent to the ACC, the DIFE also said that 110 cases were filed by the workers against Grameen Telecom and its Founder Dr Yunus, alleging they were deprived of their fair dues.
On Tuesday (2 January), Dr Muhammad Yunus and three other senior officials of Grameen Telecom have been sentenced to six months imprisonment and fined Tk30,000 each in another case filed on charges of violating labour law.
The charges include failing to provide a 5% dividend to the Grameen Telecom workers, not regularising 101 staff, and not compensating workers for public holidays.
