By John Pangkatana

Many “unanswered questions” were believed to have forced an extension to the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the acquisition of Special Agriculture Business Leases (SABL) in West Pomio, East New Britain Province.

This is due to revelations about forged signatures and lack of consent by women witnesses at the close of the inquiry at Vunapope, Kokopo on Friday.

By Martyn Namorong*

When Keith Jackson asked PNG Attitude readers to put forward suggestions to Julie Bishop’s foreign affairs and trade adviser, Sam Riordan, I sent the following response:

A LAWYER assisting the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) in the New Ireland Province was physically assaulted by a group of men who ambushed his vehicle on his way back from visiting an SABL site on Saturday, reports the Post Courier.

It is now reported to be the second assault case to have happened during the Commission of Inquiry in the province, the first assault also occurred earlier that day to a witness from New Hanover Island who gave evidence last Thursday.

The National newspaper has been cautioned not to be biased in its reporting over the Commission of Inquiry into Special Agriculture Business Leases in the Pomio District of East New Britain Province, reports the Post Courier.

Gregory Moses of NBC East Sepik

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

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.

Fr. Ed Meli, MSC*

It seems to me that New Britain Palm Oil Limited (NBPOL) is highly acclaimed by the World Economic Forum from purely economic point of view. I stand to be corrected but if I am not mistaken, a certain law guarding people's rights to their land and virgin forests in PNG, prohibits Oil Palm Companies to clear virgin forests to plant oil palm.

By Roderick Kanama

New Ireland Governor and Former Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan has described the Special Agriculture Business Leases ( SABL’s) Commission of Inquiry’s findings that the National Planning Department had “misplaced” documentation for 31 of the 74 total SABL’s granted so far, as convenient with progress as non-existent since the establishment of the COI on May the 6^th  2011.

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.