Court dismisses stay order appeal in land case

THE Supreme Court has dismissed a stay order application by a businessman on the legality of the title of a piece of land previously awarded by the National Court to another businessman in Lae.
Supreme Court’s Judge Ellenas Batari dismissed the application by Jim Tapako’s lawyer Isaac Aigilo because it lacked merit and had a low rate of success if it proceeded to hearing of the substantive appeal.
Justice Batari ordered that the cost of the application to be paid by Tapako.
The National Court last August had declared George Ipi, the owner of stationery store PNG Toner and Ink Supplies Limited, the legal title holder.
The land in question is allotment 27, section 02, in Lae. It originally belonged to National Housing Corporation and was originally designated residential.