By Theckla Gunga – EMTV News, Port Moresby
A pastor is amongst few others who were arrested in relation to using fraudulent documents for land grabbing. Lands Minister Justin Tkatchenko says the three persons were formally arrested after a Fraud and Complaints Unit was set up at the Lands Department to address land disputes.
“We have three fraud officers here in the Lands Department to go through over 400 cases of land disputes. They have formally arrested a pastor that goes under three or four different names for illegally forging an original title for a piece of land, which is not his,” Tkatchenko said.
Tkatchenko said the pastor forged his signature and other documents to acquire a piece of land that is not his. “This land has people settling on it already, plus it has currently gone under meetings of the PNG Lands Board, so it is currently in process following the proper procedures,” Tkatchenko said.
The pastor was arrested and charged over the weekend, however, his name has been withheld by the police because he is using three different names. He is expected to appear for mention at the Waigani Committal Court this week.
