Church official refutes land claim

THE Evangelical Lutheran church of PNG (ELCPNG) secretary Bernard Kaisom has brushed aside Malahang landowners’ claim that the church is still holding on to their land.
Yanga village’s Ong clan claimed that their 500ha (portion 271) was still with the church and that the church needed to return the land to its rightful landowners.
“It is a pity that the Ong clan did not come and discuss with the church’s technical team to get their facts correct before publishing claims in the media,” Kaisom said in response to an article in The National yesterday.
“I concur that the initial lease was of 500ha as portion 271.
“400ha were already transferred to them and I do not know what they are talking about.
“The remaining 100ha is under the church and is where the Lutheran development services’ Yangpela Didiman compound is.
“The other half is the Martin Luther Seminary with the main Busu Road running through.
“This is a freeholdlease and not 99 years as claimed.
“Freehold lease has no expiry date on it, which is why it is called freehold.”
Ong clan chairman Karo Hegalu said they heard that the church had returned 400ha to the landowners but weren’t sure which landowners got it.