Police still investigating Usno Baru’s case

KOTA KINABALU: Police are still investigating the motive behind Usno Baru’s failed attempt to make a comeback into the political scene in this 14th General Election (GE14).

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Ramli Din however said that police believed several individual were taking advantage of the election to make some profit.

“We believe a couple of individuals are taking advantage of the election to cheat the party for financial gain, but we are still investigating this case from all angles,” he said yesterday.

Ramli added that police were probing the case to determine if there was a breach of agreement or cheating was involved.

On nomination day on April 28, Usno Baru failed to register its candidates when the party claimed that a member who was tasked to care for the nomination deposit of RM870,000, allegedly ran away with all the money. Initial police investigation revealed the socalled RM870,000 deposited money never existed.

Ten party members, including the party president and the individual tasked to care for the money, had lodged separate police reports pertaining to the incident.

Usno Baru was planing to make a comeback after the old Usno, founded by Tun Datu Haji Mustapha bin Datu Harun who was the third Chief Minister of Sabah, was disolved in 1991.

Usno Baru will only contest in two state seats, namely Merotai and Balung, when the candidates managed to come up with their own deposits.