The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court is set to hear an appeal of the interim government鈥檚 chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and six of his former Grameen Telecom colleagues today.
They challenged a High Court鈥� July 24 order of resuming their trials on charges of embezzlement and money laundering over settlement of dispute between the company and 164 workers by paying Tk 437,01,12,621 to the sacked workers.
On February 1, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed charges against Yunus, former chairman of the Grameen Telecom, and 13 others.
The charges alleged the embezzlement of Tk 25.22 crore from the Grameen Telecom Workers鈥� Profit Participation Fund, reportedly facilitated by the transfer of funds through various bank accounts by the Grameen Telecom Board members, the GT Collective Bargaining Agency members, and their lawyers.
Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam of the Appellate Division scheduled the hearing on Wednesday after Yunus lawyer Abdullah Al Mamun requested a full court hearing.
On July 24, a bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Ebadoth Hossain summarily rejected a petition by Yunus and six Grameen Telecom officials, seeking dismissal of the embezzlement and money laundering charges.
The High Court directed the Dhaka special judge court 4 to conclude the trial against Yunus, the telecom officials, and seven others 鈥榓s early as possible, preferably within a year鈥�.
On June 12, Judge Syed Arafat Hossain of Dhaka special judge court 4 formally charged Yunus, his former colleagues, and seven others with fund embezzlement.
The 13 other accused include Grameen Telecom managing director Nazmul Islam and directors Ashraful Hassan, Nazneen Sultana, Parvin Mahmud, M Shahjahan, Nurjahan Begum, and SM Huzzatul Islam Latifee.
The other accused are Sramik-Karmachari Union president Kamruzzaman, general secretary Firoz Mahmud Hasan, and representative Mainul Islam, along with Jatiya Workers Federation office secretary Kamrul Hasan, and lawyers Zafrul Hasan Sharif and Md Yousuf Ali.
All the accused, including Professor Yunus, are currently out on bail.
Separately, the High Court bench of Justice Md Habibul Gani and Justice Mohammad Showkat Ali Chowdhury scheduled October for hearing Professor Yunus petitions filed in 2020.
These petitions seek the cancellation of proceedings in five cases related to alleged violations of labour laws.
In 2019, former Grameen Telecom employees, led by Md Imranul Haque, filed cases in a Dhaka labour court, alleging wrongful termination in violation of labour laws that protect union leaders from being sacked.
Senior lawyer Mustafizur Rahman is representing Professor Yunus and the six telecom officials.