Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus indicted in graft case

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DHAKA: 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.