Church tied up in land title case

By BEVERLY PETER
THE Waigani National Court has found that a church had obtained State lease land by fraud.
Justice Colin Makail on Friday ruled that the land title was obtained by fraud and quashed the title for Allotment 13, Section 10, in Wapenamanda, Enga, that was registered to Christian Life Centre and was secured by Pastor William Iki.
Justice Makail ordered the registrar of titles to cancel the entry of Christian Life Centre on the title and have it transferred to Janet Pepam Kepoli.
“Kepoli was the first to show interest in the land and was using it,” he said.
“I am also aware that the land was not vacant as in the legal sense. The property was being used to accommodate homeless orphans by Voice of Enda, a charity organisation. She had built home and shelter for children.”
The court heard that the land was bought by Iki for the Christian Life Centre from the National Housing Corporation (NHC) in 2005.
On Dec 3, 1992, Kepoli was informed by NHC that the property was transferred to NHC in 1970.
She paid K500 to have the title transferred to her and signed the contract of sale with the NHC on March 24, 1994. Nothing happened and she signed another sale contract in 1998 when NHC established the Give Away Scheme and paid K9,000.
After six years of no response from NHC, Kepoli received a letter from the church by Iki to vacate the land as they had acquired the land title.
Kepoli then alleged that the title was acquired by Iki by fraud.
Justice Makail said he accepted Kepoli’s evidence of the description of the property as she was very clear with the background and facts of the property as well as the details of her dealing with NHC in obtaining the title.
“She identified the NHC officer she was dealing with and transfer of the title whereas Iki and the church failed to do so,” he said, adding that Iki “also failed to say where he signed the contract of sale of the property and whether NHC acting corporate secretary Henry Kapal was present as witness”.