The Supreme Court has overturned the indictment of Muhammad Yunus in a case filed against him by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) under the erstwhile Awami League government.
In its ruling, the court also observed that the ACC’s move to swiftly withdraw the case after Yunus became the interim government`s chief advisor was inappropriate, reports bdnews24.com.
A four-member Appellate Division panel headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed delivered the verdict on Wednesday.
After the ruling, Abdullah Al Mamun, counsel for Yunus, said: “The decision to secretly withdraw the case without notifying us was a deliberate ploy -- clearly intended to leave some scope to revive the case in the future.”
Quoting Yunus, he added: “He told us, ‘I am in government now. I don`t support withdrawing a case in this manner. I am not seeking any favours from the government. I want the case resolved through due legal process.’”
The case was initiated by Gulshan Anwar Pradhan, then deputy director of the ACC, on May 30, 2023. Later, on Jun 12, 2024, Judge Syed Arafat Hossain of Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-4 framed charges and ordered the trial to begin.
Challenging that decision, Yunus filed a petition with the High Court on Jul 8 that year, seeking to have the case proceedings dismissed. However, the High Court rejected the petition on Jul 24 after a hearing.
Yunus then filed a leave-to-appeal petition with the Appellate Division. In the meantime, the political landscape in the country completely shifted as the Awami League government was ousted in a student-led mass uprising, and on Aug 8, 2024, Yunus assumed leadership of Bangladesh`s interim government.
Following the change in government, the ACC itself moved to withdraw the case, submitting a request to the trial court. On Aug 11, 2024, Judge Arafat Hossain granted the ACC’s request to withdraw the case.
Meanwhile, the Appellate Division granted Yunus permission to appeal, and on Oct 21, 2024, scheduled a full hearing of the case. That hearing ended with Wednesday’s verdict.
After the ruling, Yunus’s lawyer Al Mamun said: “The Appellate Division has ruled that the case was false, fabricated and entirely baseless. The Supreme Court has therefore accepted our appeal and quashed the ACC case. It has also overturned the High Court’s earlier ruling which had allowed the case to proceed.”
“This verdict brings an end to the disgraceful attempt by the former Awami League government to tarnish Dr Yunus’s reputation through a politically motivated, false case.”
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