Stop oil palm group for good, asks NBPOL

By MICHELLE YIPRUKAMAN
NEW Britain Palm Oil Ltd (NBPOL) is seeking a permanent court injunction to stop the palm oil growers association in West New Britain province from interfering with its operations.
The company’s lawyers appeared in court last Friday complaining that even after the court has issued interim restraining order, the Hoskins Oil Palm Growers Association (HOPGA) was still threatening to sabotage NBPOL operations.
The National Court on March 2 issued interim restraining orders following threats by HOPGA to shut down the NBPOL’s key installations, particularly the mills in Kapiura Mosa Kumbango, including an oil refinery and a palm kernel mill at Kumbango.
The group had also threatened to disrupt the national elections in the province if the Government failed to meet their demands which they set before March 1.
The growers are demanding a review of the fresh fruit bunch price formula as promised by Agriculture Minister Sasa Zibe.
They also wanted a grower representative in the Oil Palm Industry Corporation Board (OPIC) and the termination of the services of Frank Lewis and Felix Bakani as OPIC officers.
Lawyer Robert Bradshaw told the court that NBPOL had a primary interest in West New Britain as there are several mills in the province and the injunction was needed to protect the facilities.
He said: “Defendants have been issuing threats to shut down the operations of NBPOL through the media even after the National Court granted restraining orders to prevent them from interfering with my client’s operations.
“Therefore, I am seeking permanent injunctions to stop them.”
Presiding judge Justice Moses Jalina adjourned the case to April 19 and asked that HOPGA be properly represented.
 

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