Lae eviction linked to foreign businessmen

By Rebecca Kuku
Families in Lae were evicted from National Housing Corporation properties in the interest of foreign businessmen, Housing and Urbanisation Minister John Kaupa says.
Kaupa said that NHC officers had issued the eviction orders without the sanction of the minister’s office or the management of NHC.
“NHC is one body, the head office is here in Port Moresby and Lae is our branch,” he said.
“All and any evictions should be sanctioned by the acting managing director’s office.”
Kaupa said that the evictions seemed to be done in the interest of foreign businessmen and had nothing to do with NHC.
“It seems many of our assets are being sold to foreigners illegally by corrupt officers,” he said.
“We will therefore be launching an asset recovery operation to reclaim properties that were sold illegally.”
Kaupa said that the operation would begin this year.
“All the tenants that were evicted from NHC houses in Lae are now back in their homes and the officers who evicted them will be investigated and referred to the (police) fraud squad,” he said.