13 Sep 2013

PNG Lands Minister investigating dubious deals within his dept

3:07 pm on 13 September 2013

Papua New Guinea's Minister of Lands and Physical Planning Benny Allen says his ministry is investigating a number of questionable transactions within the Lands Department.

The Ministry has invited complaints about land dealings throughout PNG and is commissioning a team to investigate all land deals alleged to have been fraudulent.

Mr Allen says many complaints are filing in and some relate to corrupt dealings within the department.

He says one such case involved a developer who was planning an investment worth hundreds of millions of kina, being issued a fake title by a senior officer in Lands.

"There are also other transactions that have taken place within the Department by certain officers or even board decisions. Those parties are now co-operating with the Department through the investigation team that we will set up."

Benny Allen