Dispute over PRL club house, bar far from over

By KEITH PUARIA
THE scrutiny of the ownership of the PRL clubhouse continues, while the preliminary work on the venue gets set for Pacific Games 2015 uplift and restructure.
New questions have risen with regard to the legality of the mortgage title for sections of the venue.
The playing fields, outer stands and corporate boxes are reportedly fully controlled by the PRL itself, while the mortgage title for the clubhouse, the car park, and area under the stand is apparently with Golobadana No. 35 Ltd.
Golobadana, the property management company initially appointed by the former Papua New Guinea Banking Corporation after the PRL went into receivership has held the mortgage through its management agent, Eda Management Consultancy Services (EMCS), since then.
EMCS representative Jack Ninkama yesterday brought this to light in questions relating to the venue and the agreements that had apparently been drawn up for the sub-lease of sections of the PRL venue which he claimed “legally” came under the company’s management.
“Anybody who is operating in these sections are operating illegally,” Ninkama said.
“They don’t have any legitimate agreement, any business to do with the Legends bar, restaurant, and bottom bar will have to deal with Golobadana No.35 Ltd, who have the mortgage title through EMCS, who is the legitimate authority to deal with these areas.”
The current PRL board could not comment, but inside sources remained adamant that all dealings for any section of the venue were the PRL’s own.
An announcement of a Bank South Pacific verbal commitment in October to the government to write-off a K800,000 debt by the former venue management was received with mixed reactions by the Port Moresby Rugby League fraternity.
However, a face-to-face meeting with Sports Minister Justin Tkatchenko then, quickly clarified the bank’s and government’s intentions.
The PRL board has expressed concerns of a total government takeover of the property upon the bank’s write-off, however Tkatchenko had assured the PRL board and clubs that the government’s interest was the venue’s development.
This will include establishing a credible trustee to manage the K4 million to be given by the Games Council for the development.