By Charles Moi

A JUDGE has ruled that there was “a case of fraud” when a former government minister wrongfully leased out land under the Special Agricultural and Business Lease.

Justice David Cannings ruled that former Minister for Lands and Physical Planning Lukas Dekena had wrongfully granted a 99-year lease over a 8.51 hectares block of land at Taurama Valley, in the National Capital District, to Ava Mika, Kila Gabutu and Michael John Madi on June 25, 2010.

Your help is needed now for communities across Papua New Guinea who are still waiting for justice in one of our planets largest illegal land grabs.

Take action: www.actnowpng.org/content/demand-justice-communities-robbed-huge-illegal-land-grab

One-third of PNG log exports - I million cubic metres - coming from disputed and controversial SABL areas...

Land owners not consulted on PNG log exports

ABC Radio Australia

Up to one third of Papua New Guinea's log exports may have been made without the consent from land owners.

PM moves to recoup K15m

By JEFFREY ELAPA, The National

THE commissioners of the special agriculture business leases (SABL) have been gi­ven an ultimatum of 30 days to produce the final report or refund the money approved for the inquiry to the State.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill told Parliament last Friday that if the 30 days expired without a suitable response, the commissioners would be referred to the appropriate authorities to recover the money and fees paid to them.

Post Courier

The National

Source: The National

THE concepts of Special Agriculture Business Leases (SABL) and incorporated land groups (ILGs) are unreliable and should not be used for land reforms, an advocate said. 

Director for Communal Land Development Dr Onne Rageau urged the National Land Development Programme and the government to instead engage customary law in land reforms. 

He said the incorporated land group concept was confusing and a major impediment to customary land development. 

By Jacob Pok, Post Courier

THE Prime Minister, his Ministers and all MPs with political privileges cannot comment on any commission of inquiry (CoI) report unless it is officially tabled in parliament and made public. 

That’s the official position of the three commissioners heading the CoI into the Special Agriculture Business Leases (SABLs).

The National

THE government yesterday slammed the commission of inquiry into the special agriculture business leases (SABL) as disappointing and not in the interest of the nation.

Presenting a statement on the state of the inquiry, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said nearly K15 million and one-and-half years later, the three-men commission had produced only an interim report covering just three of the 16 terms of reference.

He said that was most disappointing.