A Bangladeshi probe has cleared Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus of misappropriating Norwegian aid money at the pioneering microfinance bank he founded, the country's Finance Minister announced today.

But the bank is still awaiting a final decision on a separate government claim that Yunus was illegally reappointed managing director, with the Supreme Court due to review an order for his dismissal on May 2.

Mr Yunus has been under fire since last December when a Norwegian documentary claimed $96 million of aid had been diverted from Grameen Bank, which provides small loans to the poor, to other parts of Grameen group.

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