NHC not involved illegal evictions: Kaupa

THE National Housing Corporation is not party to illegal evictions taking place in Port Moresby, Housing and Urbanisation Minister John Kaupa says.
Kaupa made this statement in regards to the Christmas Eve eviction of a family at Lapwing Drive in Gordon.
Lucy Agen and her family were evicted on the eve of Christmas after a foreign businessman who had bought the property for K400,000 from the previous NHC management. They received an eviction order from the Port Moresby District Court and had the family evicted by police despite Agen having a restraining order from the National Court to stop the eviction until the issue was solved in court.
Kaupa said that the eviction was not sanctioned by his office or the NHC and it was illegal and uncalled for.
“When we checked our records there was no records of the property being evaluated or sold.”
He clarified that the property was sold illegally by the previous NHC management.
Kaupa said the issue would be referred to the police fraud squad to investigate.
“Proper process means that if NHC wants to sell a property, first preference will be given to the tenants who have lived there for decades,” he said.
“But in this case, this did not happen.
“The Agens have also been up to date with their rentals so I don’t see why or how the property was sold to a foreign businessman.”
Kaupa also called on police to follow proper processes in evicting people.
“The eviction order was signed by a magistrate who was on leave and the order was not even certified by the clerk,” he said.
“How can an order from a lower court overrule that of the National Court?
“Police must start working with us and follow proper procedures to make evictions.”
Kaupa also warned the foreigner to follow due process of the court system.
“The foreign businessman went ahead and got an eviction order from the district court while knowing that there was a restraining order stopping any eviction from taking place,” he said.
“This foreigner will also be referred to Immigration and if it means to deport him we will do so because he knowingly broke the laws of this country.”
The Agen family is now back in their home while the issue is being sorted out in court.