By Belinda Kora, PNGFM news

Serious allegations of biased dealings have been raised by Pomio Landowner representative, Norbert Pames, against the East New Britain Provincial Government and the Pomio District Administrator, Mr Pomaleu Lagisan, on its lack of action and concern over the land grabs that is currently occurring in the Pomio District.

By John Pangkatana

LOCAL women leaders say their simple way of life is not the same anymore since logging company Gilford Limited set up camp at Drina Village, West Pomio-Mamusi LLG in the East New Britain Province last year.

The situation on the ground has further escalated since Greenpeace environmental ship MV Esperanza supported local landowners to bring their plight to the international audience with their presence in Jacquinot Bay last week.

This is especially so with the commission of inquiry debating on this issue this week in Kokopo. 

THE Commission of Inquiry into the special agriculture and business leases (SABL) in Pomio district, East New Bri­tain, will start today, reports The National.

The inquiry will be held at Vunapope in Kokopo. Interested parties would give evidence on the validity of each SABL to address issues found in the preliminary hearings over the past months.

Landowners in East Sepik are fuming over a report that close to 117, 000 hectares of their land is being taken over and owned by two Malaysians under a Special Agriculture and Business Lease or SABL, reports NBC news.

Lawyer representing the landowners Herbert Wally of BS Lai Lawyers says that the agreement was signed in Port Moresby without the landowners consent, and they only learnt of it just three weeks ago after sighting documents.

By Luana Paniu

At least two locals in New Hanover were seriously wounded when police discharged their firearms and shot them in the ankle, resulting in their hospitalisation. In what can be described as a vicious attack on human rights, the Commission of Inquiry into SABL were given insight into atrocities occurring on the picturesque island.

An insider within Tutumang Development Limited today spilled the beans on how he was used and manipulated by the company to ‘sweet-talk’ landowners into signing the fraudulent land deals involving the SABL on New Hanover, reports Nolene Likas for NBC news.

Councilor of Ward 17 in the Lavongai Local Level Government where the SABL are located, Mr. Kamsal Maraleu told the Commission of Inquiry that he was a major player in what transpired amongst the directors of Tutumang.

PNG forest campaigner appeals to the O’Neil-Namah Government to address land grabbing in the country and help put a stop to it . . .

By Sam Moko

More than 2,000 emails have been sent to the government over the last five days calling for a suspension of logging within disputed Special Agriculture lease areas.

“This response to is the biggest we have ever seen to an on-line petition”, says Effrey Dademo, Program Manager for ACT NOW! “People from all over the world have been getting involved”.

By Eoin Blackwell, AAP 

Greenpeace has blockaded a Chinese ship carrying what the environmental group says are illegally-acquired logs from the Papua New Guinean island of New Britain.

The Chinese vessel, the Fu Tian, is docked in a lagoon near the village of West Pomio, where as many as 200 landowners have gathered to protest the logging activities of Malaysian owned company Rimbunan Hijau (RH) and its subsidiary, Gilford Limited.

Post Courier Editorial

Greenpeace yesterday sailed into remote Pomio in East New Britain to mediate allegations of land grab in the area.