I didn't commit any crime: Prof Yunus

Nobel Laureate Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus on Thursday said he did not commit any crimes and that is why he is not afraid.
He made the comment while replying to reporters' queries at the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) office where he was called to place his statement in a case filed on charge of money laundering and embezzlement.
"I was called on, and so I came. It is a legal issue. My lawyer will provide the details," Prof Yunus said after emerging from the ACC office.
Prof Yunus, chairman of Grameen Telecom, accompanied by two other officials of the organisation -- Managing Director Md Nazmul Islam and former Managing Director Md Ashraful Hassan -- gave their statements at the ACC office from 10:00 am to 10:50 am regarding a money laundering and embezzlement case filed by the anti-graft watchdog.
They came out from the ACC office at 11:15 am.
Barrister Abdullah Al Mamun, a counsel for Prof Yunus, said the case filed by the ACC is "false and baseless" and it was filed to malign his (Prof Yunus') image.
The lawyer further said, "The ACC officials claimed that the mediation agreement by which the disputed amount was paid to the 'Grameen Telecom Sramik Karmachari Union' was fake. I said, you can't say it's fake, because when there is an agreement between the two parties, it's not fake anymore. We did the agreement after the High Court permission. So it is not fake."
"As per that agreement, the account must be opened with the workers within seven days. Within seven days, we opened an account. Yes, we took permission over telephone, because not everyone lives together. We have taken everyone's permission through zoom meeting," he added.
On September 27, ACC Deputy Director Gulshan Anwar Pradhan issued notices, asking Prof Yunus and seven others of Gremeen Telecom to appear before the ACC office.
Earlier on May 30, 2023, the same official filed a case against Prof Yunus and 12 others with ACC's Integrated District Office-1 in Dhaka on charge of embezzling and laundering Tk 252.2 million.
The ACC interrogated three other officials of the Grameen Telecom on Wednesday in the same case.
They are --- Grameen Telecom's directors Nazneen Sultana, Nurjahan Begum and Professor S M Huzzatul Islam Latifee, said Barrister Khaja Tanvir Ahmed, another counsel for Prof Yunus.
The other accused in the case are --- Grameen Telecom's directors Parveen Mahmud, M Shahjahan, 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 its representative Md Mainul Islam, according to the case statement.
Meanwhile, ACC Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain said the Commission works according to the law and there is no opportunity to see the identity of any individuals regarding interrogating them.
The ACC secretary said this in response to the question of journalists that whether the identity of Prof Yunus as a Nobel Laureate and an international personality will have any impact on the investigation of the case or not.

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