Agri-tech firm iFarmer on Tuesday issued a clarification stating that Munimul Islam was not a co-founder of the startup, in response to a report by Myanmar independent media outlet Mizzima News.

The news report, centring on Munimul’s detention and subsequent release in Spain, had identified him as a co-founder of iFarmer earlier in the day.

iFarmer said the tech startup “originally began as an initiative under Misfit Technologies, where Mr Islam serves as Chief Executive Officer. Mr Islam’s historical association with iFarmer stems solely from this earlier period under Misfit Technologies.”

It said Munimul had never served on iFarmer’s executive team, held any management position or participated in the company’s day-to-day operations.

“The legal proceedings involving Mr Islam arose from a complaint concerning the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Myanmar and were entirely unrelated to iFarmer’s operations or business activities.”

It also said that Munimul maintained that the allegations were politically motivated.

“Following a review of the case, Myanmar authorities withdrew their extradition request after concluding that there was insufficient evidence to support it. Subsequently, Spanish judicial authorities formally closed the proceedings (as reported by media outlets including The Washington Post and El País),” the statement added.

The company also requested that its name be removed from reports on Munimul’s detention and release to avoid any misinterpretation.

It should be noted that Munimul has identified himself as co-founder and director of iFarmer on both his Facebook and LinkedIn profiles.

In a 2021 interview with Future Startup, he said iFarmer had been created inside Misfit Technologies.

Munimul was detained in Spain under an INTERPOL Red Notice requested by Myanmar at Barcelona–El Prat Airport on September 29, while arriving from London for a short holiday with his wife.

According to a report by Mizzima on Tuesday, he spent 14 nights in Spanish detention before being released on October 13 after Myanmar closed its investigation and abandoned extradition proceedings.

His passport was retained, and he remained subject to judicial restrictions while Spanish authorities awaited a response from Myanmar.

The allegations against him originated within the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar (AMCHAM Myanmar) and centred on a 300,000-dollar lobbying engagement with Washington-based Mercury Public Affairs.

Former AMCHAM president Adam Michael Castillo signed the lobbying agreement, while Munimul's company financed the engagement through direct payments to Mercury.

An Associated Press investigation found that payment records and US lobbying disclosures contradicted significant elements of the allegations.

The news agency also confirmed that Mercury had organised meetings in Washington.

Approximately 300,000 dollars was paid directly to Mercury by Misfit Technologies' US operations rather than transferred through AMCHAM Myanmar's accounts. The payments were disclosed under US lobbying reporting requirements.

AMCHAM's subsequent leadership maintained that the arrangement lacked proper authorisation and raised governance concerns.

Before criminal proceedings began, Castillo and Munimul had engaged legal counsel and prepared a defamation action against the chamber's leadership.

Reporting by The Wall Street Journal described how AMCHAM president Khin Maung Win acknowledged that the threatened legal action influenced the chamber's decision to approach Myanmar police.

The dispute eventually led to criminal proceedings against Castillo, former executive director Danny Kyaw and Islam.

On October 12, 2026, El País reported that it had reviewed a confidential assessment prepared by the Bangladesh Embassy concerning the AMCHAM Myanmar dispute.

According to the newspaper, the diplomatic assessment concluded that AMCHAM's governing body had approved the lobbying initiative and Misfit Technologies' role as an external sponsor responsible for making direct payments to Mercury in the United States.

The assessment also identified an apparent contradiction involving board members who had supported the arrangement but subsequently participated in pursuing criminal proceedings.

These findings challenged central elements of the allegations and added to questions raised by the Associated Press investigation. However, the embassy's assessment was a diplomatic examination of the available documentation, not a judicial ruling.

Myanmar ultimately informed Spain that its investigation had not established a criminal case against Munimul.

Munimul was detained in Spain under an INTERPOL Red Notice requested by Myanmar at Barcelona–El Prat Airport on September 29, while arriving from London for a short holiday with his wife.

According to a report by Mizzima on Tuesday, he spent 14 nights in Spanish detention before being released on October 13 after Myanmar closed its investigation and abandoned extradition proceedings.

His passport was retained, and he remained subject to judicial restrictions while Spanish authorities awaited a response from Myanmar.

The allegations against him originated within the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar (AMCHAM Myanmar) and centred on a 300,000-dollar lobbying engagement with Washington-based Mercury Public Affairs.

Former AMCHAM president Adam Michael Castillo signed the lobbying agreement, while Munimul's company financed the engagement through direct payments to Mercury.

An Associated Press investigation found that payment records and US lobbying disclosures contradicted significant elements of the allegations.

The news agency also confirmed that Mercury had organised meetings in Washington.

Approximately 300,000 dollars was paid directly to Mercury by Misfit Technologies' US operations rather than transferred through AMCHAM Myanmar's accounts. The payments were disclosed under US lobbying reporting requirements.

AMCHAM's subsequent leadership maintained that the arrangement lacked proper authorisation and raised governance concerns.

Before criminal proceedings began, Castillo and Munimul had engaged legal counsel and prepared a defamation action against the chamber's leadership.

Reporting by The Wall Street Journal described how AMCHAM president Khin Maung Win acknowledged that the threatened legal action influenced the chamber's decision to approach Myanmar police.

The dispute eventually led to criminal proceedings against Castillo, former executive director Danny Kyaw and Islam.

On October 12, 2026, El País reported that it had reviewed a confidential assessment prepared by the Bangladesh Embassy concerning the AMCHAM Myanmar dispute.

According to the newspaper, the diplomatic assessment concluded that AMCHAM's governing body had approved the lobbying initiative and Misfit Technologies' role as an external sponsor responsible for making direct payments to Mercury in the United States.

The assessment also identified an apparent contradiction involving board members who had supported the arrangement but subsequently participated in pursuing criminal proceedings.

These findings challenged central elements of the allegations and added to questions raised by the Associated Press investigation. However, the embassy's assessment was a diplomatic examination of the available documentation, not a judicial ruling.

Myanmar ultimately informed Spain that its investigation had not established a criminal case against Munimul.