By TODAGIA KELOLA

DEPUTY Registrar of Lands title Benjamin Samson has been arrested and charged by police for official corruption.

He was arrested and charged on Friday following a complaint by landowners from Hanuabada in relation to a land on Burns Peak beside the Poreporena Freeway.

It is alleged that the portion of land was a customary land in which the deputy Registrar had signed a Special Agricultural Business Lease (SABL) to the landowners but for unknown reason he cancelled the lease and advised the traditional landowners that the land is State land and it has been awarded to a company. According to NCD Metropolitan Commander Peter Guinness, the landowners are claiming that the State had paid for the land on which the freeway is located while the land on each side of the freeway was never bought and that it was customary land. But somehow the Deputy Registrar of land had awarded it to a company.

Mr Guinness said Benjamin Samson, 38 years from Belmo village, Yangoru, in the East Sepik Province was charged with one count of official corruption and will be slapped with other charges once the investigations are completed. He has been allowed K1000 bail. 

There is currently a civil proceeding on foot in the National Court between Hanubada villagers and the company over the land in question.