Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus indicted in graft case

Dhaka, June 12

A Dhaka court today indicted Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus and 13 others for embezzling more than USD two million from the dividends of the employees of a telecom company.

Judge Syed Arafat Hossain of Dhaka Special Judge Court 4 rejected a plea for the dismissal of charges by the accused and ordered the indictment. “Judge Hossain read out the charges as Dr Yunus and the co-accused were on the dock and fixed the date for starting the trial hearing on July 15,” a prosecution lawyer said.

Counsels for Yunus, 83, and the 13 others accused – all currently on bail – pleaded not guilty and demanded exemption of the clients but the court rejected the plea saying the charges brought against the accused were primarily proved.