Police association defends claim over Boroko property

THE PNG Police Association has defended its claim over a prime real estate property in Port Moresby worth more than K1 million at its current valuation.
The property  is a four-bedroom high covenant house on section 25 lot 8, at Diho Avenue off Angau Drive.
It was occupied by suspended Police Association president Robert Ali for the past six years until his eviction from it several months ago by the Industrial Registrar Helen Saleu.
Around 2002, former Yangoru-Saussia MP John Jaminan, who then owned it, entered into an arrangement to sell it to the late Patrick Kolta – a private accounting consultant – for K500,000.
Mr Jaminan claimed he was paid only K150,000 and to this day he said he was still owed K350,000.
Mr Jaminan returned to Port Moresby last month and is demanding his house back.
He is also seeking what he claimed as outstanding rentals of more than K577,000 including interests on arrears and the outstanding payments of the house if the police association wished to keep it.
However, the police union management took out a paid advertisement yesterday in The National and refuted Mr Jaminan’s claims.
It claimed that the house belonged to 2,500 members of the Police Association of PNG and the Police Association Welfare fund has the “legal title” over the property.
“Police Association Welfare Fund members’ monies were used to purchase the property and Kunjil No.19 Limited purchased the property outright from John Jaminan with full settlement of the sale on July 31, 2000,” the management said.
It said Henao Lawyers “did finalise the contract of sale and purchase of land agreement” on the same date and claimed that it had in its possession the documented account of events that led to the “legal and proper acquisition” of the property by the Police Association Welfare Fund.
However, Mr Jaminan denied having any dealings whatsoever with Kunjil No.19 Ltd nor any law firm including Henao Lawyers and totally denied signing any contract of sales agreement with anybody, not even the Police Association Welfare Fund.
“I only dealt with Mr Kolta, him and him alone. Not anybody else, not even a lawyer and definitely not Henao Lawyers,” Mr Jaminan told The National.
“I just want my house back,” Mr Jaminan said, now a private citizen.
He called on the Police Commissioner to investigate the circumstances surrounding the “criminal act” of transferring his legitimate title of the house to Kunjil No.19 Ltd and thereafter to the Police Welfare Fund.
“All those involved should be thoroughly investigated. If they are police officers, they should be discharged and thrown into jail,” Mr Jaminan said.