By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
POLICE are investigating allegations that a Milne Bay MP and some locals are in possession of stolen properties that have been sold to them by a security firm owner.
Last Jan 28, police said the properties included a building and an unregistered 15m marine vessel located in Alotau, which was sold by the suspect last Aug 18 to Changle Enterprise for K140,000.
After getting K90,000, the suspect sold it to the MP and the locals while awaiting the final payments from the Chinese.
The Chinese company was made aware of what was going on and stopped making the final payment and reported this matter to police last Wednesday for investigation.
Source in Alotau confirmed that the MP’s relatives are now living in that building.
The National Maritime Regional Surveyor Salau Begg said the boat that was located in Alotau was unregistered.
“I told the security firm owner last year to register this vessel but after that I have not seen him. This is a prawn trawler that requires six crew members,” he said.
“It has to be registered before we certified it to go to a dry dock to be re- modified into a passenger boat,” he added.
Mr Begg said that he had discouraged the locals (named) from buying that boat to use as a passenger boat when they came to him seeking his advice.