Court gives order to vacate land

The National Main Stories

SETTLERS at 14-Mile living on portion 1221 have been ordered by the Waigani Supreme Court to vacate the land by Thursday midday.
The application of Willie Keaka and Foxie Keaka (appellants) on behalf of members of the Behori Land Group Incorporated over the eviction of about 400 settlers on portion 1221, Milnich of Granville, Central, has been dismissed by Justice David Cannings in the Waigani Supreme Court.
On Thursday, Nov 5, at 11am, the appellants moved their application to stay Deputy Chief Justice Ambeng Kandakasi’s orders from Oct 7.
Last month, Justice Kandakasi ordered that the motion filed by the defendants (NCDC) on Sept 21 for dismissal of the proceedings was granted and the entire proceedings be dismissed.
Other orders include:

  • The plaintiffs and other settlers from portion 1221, restrained from threatening, interfering, disrupting and harassing NCDC from carrying out demolition and eviction on the property;
  • Police to carry out an eviction exercise within seven days;
  • Plaintiffs be restrained from entering potion 1221; and,
  • Costs of the proceedings and other incidental costs relating to vacant possession of the property be awarded to defendants (NCDC).

After the orders, on Oct 27, NCDC moved in to continue the eviction.
However, the settlers went back to court, this time to the Supreme Court, seeking to stay the orders by Justice Kandakasi.
An adjournment was asked by the appellants’ lawyer with Justice Cannings rejecting their application for an adjournment.
The court after hearing both sides, refused the stay application.
The orders of the court are that the appellants’ application for stay is rejected and are given until midday Thursday to vacate the land.

19 comments

  • Well…that’s it. You should not settle up on some one else land with out authority. If you think you can do improve some one else land for business or quality houses than think twice or you end up having heart attack..?!!

  • How can someone from Enga or SHP or anywhere in the NGI claim to be from Central and decide to just settle on a piece of land in POM? Are there no land available in your place of origin? The money spent on settling in a foreign land can be wisely used, developing your own piece of land in your home province. Make the right choice, return back to your village and settle once your time in POM is up.

  • Hear Hear!! Settle nothing nothing bai yu kisim dispela kain pen. You have plenty of land in your province so go start a settlement there

  • The Government should now start educational awareness on these specific issues, of illegal land grabbing and squatter settlements, in all ethnic Communities, in the bigger Urban areas of PNG. So these types of unfortunate circumstances can be avoided at all costs, in the future.

  • most people in settlements , esp highlanders drive the economy of NCD, not the landowners. tingting gut na tok.

  • SO drive the economy from your own province.!!! Settlements breed lots of problems. If someone came into your back yard and setup a settlement in the name of driving the economy what would you do. If someone came into you garden and started harvesting your bananas in the name of driving the economy what would you do.

  • It is sad to see people displaced by court orders, but appreciate Judge Ambeng Kandakasi who dismissed the entire proceedings.
    Settlements are unique dwelling places, lawyers, police, magistrates have ended up in settlements after their retirements, they can close it now while in Authority but they will return as settlers when their service is up.
    Long live settlers.

  • They can go back to drive their own economy in their homeland. Let the Papuans alone to drive their economy in Port Moresby NCD. All tu save long wokim business. Maski lo magal lon samting blo narapela man.

  • Mi wanbel lo Paulus, Trouser na Martin.
    Go home, work your land. Nobody is going to chase you around.
    Apply the same business approach and you will see its significant benefits.

  • Clearly the land was already sold- by whom, is the question you association members and landowners must ask yourselves.
    It’s a sad day for you central people yet again. This must be a lesson to you all- do not sell your heritage, your future generations rely on your decision you do today.
    Stop giving excuses and blaming everyone, you have only yourselves to blame. Think smart and do something

  • That is partly the fault of the government because they should have a system in place to register tye movement of people within the country. That’s how they do things and keep sight of who comes and who goes, and also the motives formoving to a particular place. Lso be mindful that tyere is no free land in PNG that you can simply grab for yourself and settle upon. Every piece of land belongs to somebody, a tribe, a family or the state in this case. The solution is simple. Pack up and go back home todrive the economy of your own province. Stop living as parasites.

  • How was the land surveyed and acquired in the first place? Courts go by documentation and currency of the land title . You cannot squatter on a land without owing a title to it. Sorry but soneone who had the legal title over it has exercised his or her rights to evict unauthorized settlers .

  • And worse, you will be a looser in your own land. You already sold you life, your land to NCDC. NCDC is a place for whole people of different cultures and ethnic groups of provinces. Other wise land here in central are dry and not good for gardening other than humans settlements. Economic of png is now driven by High lands N NGI. And you, check your record.

  • Simple solution or answer is: go back to your home Province,District, Community and Village where NO ONE will evict you.

  • Rausim olgeta Highlands go bek lo ples blo ol. Ol Ol pait kilim ol tumas na panim ples blo hait na kam claimim ol graun lo Port Moresby na sidaun gut olsem graun blo tumbuna blo ol karim lo balus na kam planim lo Moresby na ting olsem blo ol. Go Lo Pless stap na wokim pipia tumas lo city na NCDC mani save pinis lo klinim pipia blo upla ya. Powes Pakop tayet pinis lo upla ya na stap. Usim kru blo upla…….

  • NCD & Commission is place meant for business class, working class, school children or in other word all tax payers to live and drive economy. that is real so eradicate all illegal squatter settlements as opportunists causing hell lot of problems. Appeal to all local MPs or authorities repatriate these bunches of settles back home their respective provinces, districts and villages. They have everything to drive their own economy like port Moresby.

    Em ples graun blo Central and Motu Koitabu leave them alone so that they liaise with the sensible elites and develop partner in a more amicable way and benefits. Please eyes on and hands off settlers.

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