By Luana Paniu



THE Registrar of Titles, Henry Wasa yesterday appeared before the Commission of Inquiry for the third time to give evidence about eight missing title files.


Mr Wasa, who was summoned last week by Chief Commissioner John Numapo and Commissioners, Alois Jerewai and Andy Mirou, had also been issued another directive to produce information about alleged tampering of files prior to the set up of the CoI.

Commissioner Jerewai had stated last week of an alleged break and enter at the Lands Department office and that files had been tampered with, an incident he said had been reported in the media.


Under the Commission of Inquiry Act Section (6) (1) ……A Commissioner may, by writing under his hand, summon a person to attend the Commission at a time and place named in the summons, and then there to give evidence and to produce any books, documents or writings in his custody or control which he is required by summons to produce.


And in Section (9) (1) A person served with a summons to attend the Commission, whether the summons is served personally or by being left at his usual place of abode, who fails, without reasonable excuse 
(a) To attend the Commission or 
(b) To produce any document, book or writing in his custody or control which he is required by the summons to produce, is guilty of an offence to pay the fine not exceeding K5000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or both. 


When appearing before the Inquiry yesterday, Mr Wasa again reiterated his earlier statement of having no knowledge of the incident which he said was the same position taken by his colleagues from the Department of Lands and Physical Planning.


He was however only able to produce two more files which he said were submitted on Monday afternoon following publication in the two dailies and would need extended time to locate the other six title files.


The files have all been listed by name and portion number and ran in both The National and Post Courier last week for all names listed to be submitted.


These files are part of the 72 Title files of all Special Purpose Agriculture and Business Leases (SPABL’s) that are currently being held by various lessees around the country and which are now before the CoI pending investigations.


Mr Wasa said the reason for the current problem of file safety was the lack of space in the building.
 He admitted there was prior apprehension that the safety of the files would be compromised before he and his colleagues had first moved into the building.
He said once the Pepi Kimas building was completed, a time will be given for the Department to move into it.


Commissioner Jerewai was however satisfied that efforts were being made to locate the title files and therefore accepted the evidence presented which included Mr Wasa’s lack of knowledge about the media reports.