Two housing officers suspended over Lae evictions

HOUSING and Urbanisation Minister Justin Tkatchenko has confirmed that two officers in Lae have been suspended over the eviction of tenants from National Housing Corporation homes at Cassowary Road last month.
He said the suspension came as NHC continued to investigate the eviction of families.
One of the homes was allegedly sold to offset a debt.
In the letter sighted by The National, both men were told to respond within seven working days from the day of receipt of the notice of their suspension.
The letter said “the suspension stems from your unauthorised media release to the general public without being sectioned by the managing director’s office or the minister responsible. This action is quite serious, deemed unlawful and contravenes clause 160 (1)(a), (b), (c) and (i) of the NHC determination”.
“You have also been cited for allegations of improper conduct of property management in Lae, which amounts to negligence and being careless in the discharge of your official duties.”
Tkatchenko and Minister for Lands John Rosso clarified that the actions of the NHC officers in Lae were deemed “insubordination”.
Tkatchenko said tenants, legal or illegal, of “all the NHC properties that are being evicted or summoned to pay all the outstanding arrears are being done by NHC”.