Wenge: Govt will reclaim sold land

By GABRIEL LAHOC
THE Morobe provincial government will reclaim all prime land in Lae city given away in corrupt and questionable deals.
Morobe Governor Luther Wenge made the assurance following allegations made against him by suspended Morobe provincial administrator Kemas Tomala.
Tomala last week alleged that in 2004, Wenge had bestowed the power of attorney on a Kupo Mape who allegedly went around selling prime land areas in Lae city in questionable and corrupt arrangements.
Mape is the principal of Yumi Land consultants. He reportedly had a close working relationship with Wenge  when he got elected into office as the governor of Morobe.
Tomala had also alleged that Wenge conspired to get more than K1 million from the provincial treasury. The governor’s chief of staff Gope Dakis was also implicated in that.
Tomala said because of his strong stand against the governor and the provincial executive council, he was suspended as the provincial administrator.
Wenge told reporters yesterday that Mape had forged his signature to gain the special power, before acquiring land some of which he sold illegally.
“So it is not me who signed, God knows,” he said.
He also vowed to get Mape investigated and reclaim the land sold by Mape.
On the K1.5 million alleged to have been raised from the provincial treasury without a proper PEC resolution, Wenge said it was his discretionary fund as the regional MP which he was entitled to spend on projects he saw fit.