Attorney general Md Asaduzzaman said on Thursday that the government intended to clear Professor Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser to the interim government, of the financial irregularities charges levelled against him during the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina regime, following due process.
This statement came during a session of the five-judge Appellate Division bench, chaired by chief justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, as it heard a petition filed by Yunus.
Asaduzzaman highlighted that Yunus鈥� legal approach contrasted with the Anti-Corruption Commission鈥檚 recent administrative move, which led to the lower court dismissing the case against Professor Yunus on August 11鈥攕ix days after the Awami League government was ousted following a student movement against discrimination.
The petition under review challenges a High Court order that called for resuming trials against Yunus and six of his former Grameen Telecom colleagues.
The case involved allegations of embezzlement and money laundering concerning a settlement with 164 workers, in which Tk 437,01,12,621 was paid to the dismissed employees.
The Appellate Division on Thursday scheduled the further hearing for September 2 and instructed Yunus鈥� lawyer, Abdullah Al Mamun, to submit the ACC鈥檚 decision to withdraw the case, along with the lower court鈥檚 order that rejected the case on the ACC鈥檚 request.
The attorney general noted that questions might arise as to whether Yunus, in his capacity as chief adviser, influenced the ACC鈥檚 decision on August 11 to refrain from pursuing the case, which was still pending before the Supreme Court.
He asserted that Professor Yunus did not seek administrative measures to clear himself of the charges, which he considers 鈥榖aseless鈥�.
When asked if his stance favoured Yunus, the attorney general clarified that his role was to assist the court as the state鈥檚 legal officer, rather than representing the government鈥檚 interests.
ACC lawyer AKM Fazlul Haque, meanwhile, informed the court that to his knowledge, the ACC had not yet decided to withdraw the case against Professor Yunus.
The charges against Professor Yunus, filed by the ACC on February 1, accused the former Grameen Telecom chairman and 13 others of embezzling Tk 25.22 crore from the Grameen Telecom Workers鈥� Profit Participation Fund.
The allegations claimed that the funds were transferred through various bank accounts by members of the Grameen Telecom Board, the GT Collective Bargaining Agency, and their legal representatives.
Muhammad Yunus, 84, is now facing more than 170 cases over various charges brought against him during the AL regime.
The Labour Appellate Tribunal in Dhaka cancelled the six-month jail sentences of Yunus and three of his Grameen telecom colleagues in a case filed over labour law violations on August 7, the day before he was sworn in as the chief adviser.