Pari Land Development refuses to back down

 

THE second tuna cannery dilemma is now causing a stir in Western Province.

According to a High Court Order, Pari Land Development (PLD) organisation, earlier accused by the Western Province Premier of trying to disturb development in Noro, had taken rightful ownership of the land allocated for the second tuna cannery.

Documents by PLD show that parcel land (number 098-009-42), earmarked to be the area given to Dongwon Industry in Noro, is one of the five parcels of land the High Court had quashed cancellation for the Grant of Profit in favour of PLD.

It has been signed, sealed and perfected on December 10, 2015, by the High Court – thus, PLD has taken title of these parcel lands granted by the Commissioner of Lands.

PLD being the local landowners said the provincial government of Western Province injecting an appeal to the High Court against them will only turn to be expensive financially.

This comes after the debate on the motion of Sine Die at the Full Assembly meeting of the province in which Premier Wayne Maepio said that the government has also injected an appeal to the High Court against them on the issue.

“In terms of documents, Dongwon Industry also recognises the Pari organisation in which PLD allows the development as they are 100 percent for Dongwon Industry as well,” said Pari landowner’s representatives to Island Sun Gizo.

“We are just surprised why the Premier does not want to liaise with the title holder to that land? The coordination of this development is not something that you acquire through land so that when it is its time for forfeiture the Commissioner of Lands takes it back from a landowner because the area is not developed. This is a High Court order.

“So to reverse the decision and to cancel all the registration is the question how? Is Western Province ready to do that?”

They said if the Premier has concern over this development then why are there no consultations among them the parties of the SIG, PLD and WPG? – Instead he is only barking about land issue.

“The Premier stating during the Full Assembly meeting last week that he had tried nearly four attempts to discuss this issue in solving it with us is totally a lie. PLD had actually made eight attempts to meet up with the Honourable Premier but to no luck in which it seems like he is avoiding us,” said the PLD representatives.

In a broader knowledge, PLD says the real issue here is the former provincial government under former Premier, Robert Pye Kuve, had actually lied to Dongwon Industry in the first place and extracted money from them.

“It is believed to be more than $200,000 had already been received by the provincial government and they allocated a wrong parcel of land,” said PLD representatives.

“Now that Dongwong Industry has realised that they were being tricked, they are asking back the money that they gave to the provincial government.

“Dongwong now knows who really the land owners are over that certain area.

“We do have a tribe but this is not a tribal land as it is a government land in which the Commissioner of Lands owns it.

“We are the next hefty holder over this area according to the High Court order.”

PLD said rubbishes sentiments in an article published in Island Sun early this year, in which the Premier blamed them for not cooperating towards the development of Western Province and the country.

“But this is not the point, the point is the provincial government must sit with us so that we can discuss together with Dongwon industry over this interest for development. This is how all Solomon Islanders will benefit effectively from this development,” said PLD.

“The provincial government had already wrongly sold that area and are now trying to do cover-ups to the general public that Dongwon Company still has confidence in them.

“But this government is already near upon being lapse this coming June and they have already extracted money from false allocation of land.”

It is said that Dongwon Industry had sponsored all the executive members of the province to Honiara, and gave them money at the Honiara Hotel.

Attempts to catch up with Dongwon representatives to prove this claim is still unsuccessful. A representative of the tuna industry residing in the country is said to be still overseas as well.

Attempts to also catch up with the former Premier for Western Province to clarify this issue proved futile because of his health condition.

It was during the former premier’s reign that Dongwon Industry, one of the world’s largest tuna industries, came into the scenario.

According to PLD, it is not a tribe rather but that they represent a tribe. They are five brothers.

Meanwhile in a recent interview with Premier Wayne Maepio, he denied all claims that PLD have made over this issue.

“Firstly over this issue as the current leader of the provincial government for Western Province, in the context that Dongwon Industry had given money was during the first interest of it to be established at West Guadalcanal.

“So maybe the government to Korea relationship then was when transactions took place that PLD is referring to.

“The province did not take any money or receive any money and Dongwon Industry was only introduced to us during the leadership of former Premier Hon Robert Pye Kuve up until now under my leadership.

“We were only authorised to accommodate Dongwon Industry here because of the land dispute at Doma, West Guadalcanal.”

The Premier said if Dongwon Industry has given money to landowners then that is their business.

“For us at the provincial government, Dongwon Industry has not given any single cent to us for this development to take place. We are just negotiating on a good faith for land allocation for the investment,” said the Premier.

“There is nothing whatsoever of any under table dealing.

“So for Dongwon Industry to pay land from the provincial government, I am not aware of such. But we are only trying to accommodate in allocating a land for this investment.

“And when all are clear, they will pay the appropriate premium of the land to the Lands Division.”

Hon Maepio confirmed during the interview that he was aware of the PLD organisation and their issues of claiming land ownerships at Noro.

“The issue here for PLD is that they want them to be directly involved with Dongwon Industry and not the province,” said the Premier.

“They forget that it is the province if dealing with Dongwon Industry would be easier.

“So the so-called PLD organisation is the one causing so many problems at the moment which to me is very disturbing towards the interest for such developments.”

The Premier elaborated that if this issue has to do with any payments between the national government of the country and Korea during former Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo’s reign then they know nothing about that.

He said what they only understand is that Dongwon Industry is the same industry that should had been established at Doma, West Guadalcanal.

“But because of land dispute is why it was moved for accommodation to Western Province in which the province sees this investment as an opportunity to benefit the province and the country as a whole.

“So we accept Dongwon Industry on a good faith and we will try to help them on a good faith as well.

“The truthful discussion is if everything is set and a land is free then “yes” we will give it to Dongwon Industry,” he said.

The Premier was also asked the present position of the government in terms of Dongwon Industry’s investment proposal for Noro by the non-executive MPA for Ward 26 Hon Michael Aquilla during the debate on the motion of Sine Die at the Full Assembly meeting last week.

Premier Maepio gave a straight clear answer to the Full Assembly that only land issue was holding up the development for the investment, few non-executive MPAs were still not satisfied as well.

There were rumours and beliefs that few within the provincial executive are also behind the delay for the second tuna cannery to be established because of personal political conflicts of interests.