Foreign firms deny buying New Hanover

By JACOB POK
TWO foreign companies reportedly involved in the sale and purchasing of the New Hanover Island in New Ireland have denied any knowledge of the alleged transaction.
Palma Hacienda Ltd, a subsidiary of the Singapore-based Dynamicom Ltd, is alleged to have purchased three portions – portions 885C, 886C and 887C – of land on the island from another Malaysian company, Tutuman Development Ltd at close to K4 million.
The allegations were published in the Post-Courier and broadcast in the New Ireland national broadcaster (NBC). 
General manager of Dynamicom Ltd, Voon Teck Onn, had to travel to PNG to clarify that his subsidiary company, Palma Hacienda Ltd, did not enter into any arrangement to
purchase the island or any other land on the island.
“I would like to make it clear that Palma Hacienda has never purchased any land on the island,’’ he said.
“It is without doubt that Palma Hacienda has been misrepresented and fraudulently used to drive ill intentions of persons known to us.
“I am here from Malaysia to clear the name of my company and I hope that this would settle doubts and misgivings as far as the alleged sale of New Hanover is concerned,” he said at a press conference.
Voon said Hacienda had never paid any money nor did it purchase any land or plantation on the island in question.
He said he formally registered a complaint with the police to investigate the sources of the allegations which he said had tainted the image of his company.
Tutuman Development’s general manager Deodatus Hii also brushed aside the sale allegations, saying they were made by people with vested interest.
He said Tutuman had been working closely with the three landowner companies – Umbukul Ltd, Tabut Ltd and Central New Hanover Ltd – who own the portions of the land alleged to have been sold.
He said his company did not own the land and had no right to sell any portion of the land.
He said portions of land on the island were only sub-leased to his company through the Special Agriculture and Business Lease (SABL) to develop the resources on the land.
And as such, he said his company had no authority to sell the land as it belonged to the people of New Hanover.
He said the information given to the media was from people with vested interest known to them.
Hii also urged the media to verify facts with the people on the ground before publishing any allegations.
The manager of Land Acquisitions with the Department of Lands and Physical Planning, Lazarus Malesa, also produced records from the department indicating that there was no sale done on any portion of land on the island.