By Jimmy Kalebe, Communications Officer, Turubu Eco-Forestry Inc.

Minister for Trade and Industry and Member for Yangoru-Sausia, Mr Richard Maru on Wednesday night gave Turubu Landowners the green light to use the services of Mobile Squad 04, from Port Moresby to stop certain members of the local police that are interfering with compliance to a National Court Order by the Palm Oil developer illegally operating in Special Agriculture Business Lease (SABL) area Portion 144C, East Sepik Province.

The Mobile Squad 04 is in Wewak to assist the Member curb law and order issues in his electorate.

Mr Maru gave the instructions to the landowners and their lawyer after an Order of the National Court (see below) was served on the palm oil company, demanding a stop to log shipments, but was ignored with the assistance certain members of the local police, engaged by the company.

The National Court on 2nd July 2014, found the decision of the National Secretary of Lands to issue an SABL over Portion 144c in 2008, to be void and of no legal effect. His Honour Justice Gavara-Nanu also found that the operations of Sepik Palm Oil Development Limited in both palm oil development and logging, to date, are illegal.

On Wednesday morning youths from villages in the SABL area employed at the Turubu Bay log pond stopped work and refused to load logs for shipment. Instead they climbed onboard the log ship, tying red flags to various parts of the ship. In retaliation the police personnel engaged by the company locked up a village councillor. We are informed that the Lawyer for the landowners has since informed the Office of the Provincial Police Commander of the National Court Order, and the incident at the log pond. It is not clear, however, as to any further action taken by local police to facilitate the compliance to the Court Order.

Meanwhile, there is a provincial float planned by the landowners for Saturday 12th July 2014, in Wewak town, to celebrate and publicise the court victory while calling on relevant authorities to fast track the cancellation of the illegal lease over Portion 144C, stop the logging and return their land.