Chan directs eviction

National, Normal
Source:

The National- Friday, January 14, 2011

 THE eviction of settlers at the Islands Nationair building in Rabaul was carried out on instructions  from the landlord and Director of the aviation company, Toea Chan.

Speaking on behalf of Chan, Rabaul businesswoman Rosemary Sovek claimed the eviction of settlers out of the building early this week had been done so after numerous requests for the settlers to vacate the area had failed.

Sovek said Chan had sent a letter to the police station commander in Rabaul advising him that he had authorised Sovek to evict the illegal settlers from the company property.

Chan in the letter stated that his authorisation to Sovek had been done because the settlers had refused to comply and vacate the property.

Sovek said that as the landlord of the building and land, they had all the right to evict the settlers.

The eviction, she said, was done justifiably and as a means of helping the provincial government who have been slow in continuing the eviction exercise that started last year.

All relevant authorities, Sovek added, had been informed of the eviction exercise before it was conducted on Monday this week.

Sovek made these statements yesterday to clear the air over the matter after one of the settlers, Samuel Anda, had reportedly told NBC radio that his family had been forcefully evicted. 

Anda said they should have been informed earlier about the eviction.   

“They plainly refused to listen and so we only did what we thought was the right thing to do,” said Sovek.