Group rejects ruling

 By ZACHERY PER

A GROUP of landowners from Mt Kerekonma on the border of Chimbu and Eastern Highlands last Friday protested against a recent court ruling that distributed percentages to parties involved in a land ownership dispute.

The Telikom repeater station is located on Mt Kerekonma.

Members of the Ketoraufa land group and principal plaintiff Rosa Flynn staged a peaceful protest march to the Chuave district administration to show their rejection of the recent ruling by Kudiawa district court magistrate William Seneka. 

They claimed Seneka’s decision was in contempt of court as a previous ruling by another magistrate was still valid. 

Flynn said the order by then senior provincial magistrate Raphael Apa in July 2010 remained active and that the recent ruling after several submissions by other parties was “contemptuous.”

She said her Ketoraufa land group was awarded 75% ownership in the initial court order and the Ottokane land group was awarded 25%. They had accepted that.

Flynn said they showed their frustrations by way of a peaceful protest march.

They did not give any petition in writing but informed the district administrator Markus Varip that they would submit a petition to him on Monday.

They said Varip could trace through the normal procedures.

Seneka’s ruling on June 28 in Kundiawa on distributions of percentages of the landownership and proceeds to interested tribes were as follows; Yongumugl 30%, Chuave 20%, Watabung 30% and Asaro 20%.

Flynn said they would revert to the court for a judicial review on all the proceedings on the landownership of Mt Kerekonma.