Fund embezzling: Probe report against Dr Yunus, 12 others Jan 3

A Dhaka court has set January 3 for submitting probe report in a case filed against Grameen Telecom Chairman and Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus and 12 others for allegedly embezzling Tk 25 crore from the company.

Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Asaduzzaman set the new date as the investigation agency Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) failed to submit the report on Sunday.

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 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 Tk 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 Tk 25 crore from the fund.

ACC Deputy Director Md Gulshan Anwar filed the case with its integrated district office Dhaka-1 on May 30.

Dr Yunus is currently facing trial for violating the labour law. He has also been accused of money laundering, tax evasion, and depriving his workers.