NHC evicts Wai family

By ZACHERY PER
POLICE in Goroka have warned the National Housing Corporation to reverse a decision to evict a family from their home, saying it is against a court order which disallowed any eviction.
The Wai family was evicted by NHC officers in Goroka between 4.30pm and 5.30pm on Tuesday this week.
This is despite an order issued by the National Court in Waigani that they should not be evicted from their property at Section 30, Allotment 40 in Goroka town.
Eastern Highlands provincial police commander Superintendent Alex N’Drasal  yesterday gave the NHC until 4.06pm yesterday to remove any new tenant who might have moved in and allow the Wai family to return to their home.
Tenant Ken Wai, a senior officer with the Health Department, is the legal tenant of the house.
He said he had paid more than K47,000 in rent and did not have any arrears.
He said in 2001, he joined the Public Servants Home Ownership Scheme and with the approval of the health department, signed a legal tenancy agreement with the NHC.
“I paid K140 per fortnight from 2003 until now – totalling K47,000,” he said.
“I have no outstanding arrears.  “My family is legally residing in the house.” NHC managing director John Dege was disappointed with the eviction.
He said the NHC Goroka office staff had been suspended two weeks ago and an investigation team was in Goroka to have a look at the operation there.
“Nobody is supposed to be evicting anyone there as all the officers are on suspension,” he said.
“It will be an illegal exercise.
“No officers in Goroka is to conduct any eviction exercises,” he said.
Dege said Wai and his family should be immediately reinstated to the home.