Landowner group awaits court ruling

By ZACHERY PER
ONE of the parties involved in a dispute over the land ownership at the Mt Keregonma Telikom repeater station is yet to get a copy of the court ruling on it.
The station is on the border of Eastern Highlands and Chimbu provinces.
Executives of Ketoiraufa Land Group Incorporation yesterday expressed dissatisfaction over the manner in which Kundiawa Lands Court failed to disclose to them its ruling.
Chairperson of the Group, Rosa Flynn, secretary Gideon Girimai and public relations officer Johnson Yanopa said if the court clerks had sent them the ruling early, they would not have to spend extra resources in returning to court.
“Their failure has forced us to return to court seeking orders,” Girimai said.
“We were asked to file a motion which we did. A ruling will be made on Jan 25 next year.
“But we have to spend extra resources to travel back and forth between Kundiawa and Goroka as we reside in Goroka.”
Yanopa and Flynn said they went into a lengthy court battle over six years wasting so much resources and time.
The order was only released to them last month which was already late for them to do anything.
The court order issued by the provincial lands court magistrate Raphael Apa on July 22, in 2010 said that 75% of the benefits should go to Rosa Flynn and Ketoiraufa Land Group and 25% to Kono Daka representing the Graiku and Oltokane Landowners Association.
As per the findings of the mediation and resolutions, the distribution of the percentages were made. Any benefits and proceeds for the use of customary land at Mt Keregonma distributions should be shared as prescribed, according to the order.