Usno Baru’s RM870,000 nomination deposit never existed – police

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KOTA KINABALU: Usno Baru was hoping to make a comeback to the political scene in this 14th General Election (GE14).

Its aspiration was however short-lived when a member of the party who was tasked to care for the nomination deposit amounting to RM870,000, allegedly ran away with all the money during nomination day on April 28.

According to Usno Baru supreme member John Kisil, 62, their party president had handed over all the money to a member on April 27 at 10.30am, as the latter was tasked to care for the money and to hand it out to their candidates on nomination day.

On April 28, the party president and other members including their lawyers arrived at the Election Commission (EC) office at about 2.30pm, after EC allowed the party up to 11.59pm to make the payment. However, they failed as the person who was tasked to hold the money never turned up.

Only two persons, the Merotai and Balung candidates, managed to come up with their own deposits and could contest in the elections.

Following the incident, eight police reports were lodged by party members urging the police to take appropriate action.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Ramli Din said based on initial police investigation, the so-called RM870,000 deposited money never existed.

“According to police investigation, the ‘money’ was only mentioned by party members but no one had ever seen or received the total sum of RM870,000.

“The individual who was allegedly tasked to care for the money had also come forward and lodged a police report regarding the incident,” he told a press conference at the state police headquarters in Kepayan yesterday.

Ramli added that some party members claimed to have given money for the nomination, but declined to comment further as investigation is still ongoing.

Police had recorded statements from about 10 of the party members to assist investigation, said Ramli, adding that the case would be investigated under Section 408 of the Penal Code for criminal breach of trust.

Before Usno Baru, an old Usno was founded by Tun Datu Haji Mustapha bin Datu Harun, the third Chief Minister of Sabah before the party was deregistered by the Registrar of Societies (RoS) in 1996.

The party came to power in 1967 and ruled the State until 1975.

In 1976, it was defeated by Berjaya in a state election.

Usno dissolved the party to make way for Umno’s entry into Sabah in 1991.

Usno Baru was supposed to contest all the 60 state and 26 parliament seats, including the federal territory of Labuan.