The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has summoned Noble Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus and 12 others to appear before it to face questioning in a case filed by the anti-graft body on charge of embezzling and laundering TK 252.2 million from the company's Workers' Profit Participation Fund.
Grameen Telecom Chairman Dr. Yunus, its Managing Director Md. Nazmul Islam, and former Managing Director Md. Ashraful Hassan have been asked to appear before the ACC on Thursday, according to the notifications issued by the ACC on September 27.
The ACC also summoned Grameen Telecom's five other officials to appear before it on Wednesday (today), said Grameen Telecom's counsels, Barrister Abdullah Al Mamun and Barrister Khaja Tanvir Ahmed.
The officials are Grameen Telecom's directors, Parveen Mahmud, Nazneen Sultana, M Shahjahan, Nurjahan Begum, and Professor S. M. Huzzatul Islam Latifee.
The other accused in the case are Advocate Md. Yousuf Ali, Advocate Jafrul Hasan Sharif, President of 'Grameen Telecom Sramik Karmachari Union' Md. Kamruzzaman, Union's Secretary Md. Firoz Mahmud Hassan, and Union's representative Md. Mainul Islam, according to the case statement.
Earlier on May 30, 2023, ACC Deputy Director Gulshan Anowar Prodhan lodged the case with Integrated District Office-1 in Dhaka.
Barrister Abdullah Al Mamun said, "The disputed money is the claimed one by the employees of Grameen Telecom, and it was paid to them through mediation. The employees paid their lawyers' fees with that money. No occurrence of embezzlement or laundering took place while transferring that money."
The lawyer said, "On the one hand, the government is asking as to why we are not giving dividends to the employees. However, when the dividend was given, it was alleged that we had committed corruption. Money has been embezzled and laundered. The disputed amount, Tk 252.2 million, was due to the employees, and it was given in advance. But the ACC filed a corruption case regarding the money."
Claiming the case was filled with false allegations, Barrister Abdullah Al Mamun said, Prof. Yunus is ready to face the question.
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