Lajim Ukin denies misusing funds

(Rakyat Post) – Sabah Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) liaison chief Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin is accused of misusing funds, just weeks before the party election.

But he described the allegations made by Deputy Sabah PKR information chief Taufik Ruschi as baseless.

Taufik, who is also the former Beaufort PKR acting division chief, lodged a police report against Lajim last week for allegedly misusing funds amounting to RM100,000, which was given by the Selangor Menteri Besar.

Lajim, who won the PKR Beaufort division chief post uncontested, told a press conference here that the Selangor Menteri Besar had in fact donated only RM50,000 to the PKR Sabah natural disaster fund.

“It was only RM50,000 and not RM100,000, as claimed by Taufik, and it was to Sabah PKR committee and not the Beaufort division. The money is still in the party’s coffers as we have yet to utilise the donation,” he said.

Lajim added that the donation would have been used to help out flood victims in Sabah, but it came about a month after the disaster struck many districts in the state.

“I want to clarify here that the accusation is baseless and slanderous as Taufik was being emotional, and I believe it is because he is being challenged for the deputy PKR Beaufort division’s post,” he explained.

According to Lajim, there had been suggestions among PKR Beaufort leaders and members to allow the top posts in the division to be uncontested.

“However, Taufik is being challenged for the deputy chief post and he is not happy with that. So, he made a police report against me and I think this could be a way to get me to contact him, and then discuss about the deputy post, but this is a wrong approach,” said Lajim.

He said Taufik should have discussed the matter with him rather than being emotional and taking the matter to the public.

For now, Lajim will wait for police to complete the investigation into the case and if there is any element of fraud, he will be taking legal action against Taufik.