Landowner queries purchase of police vehicle

 A KUTUBU landowner has questioned the decision to buy a police vehicle from a high impact project fund.

Former general secretary of the Namo’Aporo Landowners Association and landowner leader of the Kutubu oil fields Mark Sakai said high impact funds were only for major impact projects as per the Umbrella Benefit Sharing Agreement.

He was responding to a statement in The National on Monday by executive officer Alex Narobe regarding the use of the funds to buy a police vehicle for the Moro police station.

Sakai said there was no clause in the umbrella benefit sharing agreement signed in Kokopo between the state, the lands and the developer to buy a police vehicle for Moro police.

“Let me make it very clear that the K10.5 million is the 2010 Infrastructure Development Grant (IDG) for the Kutubu project and is not a high impact funds.” 

Sakai said the Southern Highlands provincial government who is the legal custodian did not approve the purchase of a Moro police station vehicle or any other projects funded using the K10.5 million IDG.