-HCC sells land using false documents to foreign logger
-DISPUTED – HCC meeting minutes given to Lands commissioner
By EDDIE OSIFELO
TWO city council executives have denied the Honiara City Council (HCC) conducted a meeting on October 29, 2020 to sanction the sale of council land at Ranadi to a foreign logger.
Charles Aiwosuga, who was deputy mayor until early this year, and another executive councillor who requested anonymity, relayed this to Island Sun yesterday.
This was after the Commissioner of Lands, Alan McNeil confirmed to Solomon Business Magazine he gave consent to the Council to sell the land, occupied by Biosecurity Division for the last 20 years, to a logging company.
Mr McNeil said he based his decision on valid documents that HCC held the Fixed Term Estate title and a minute to confirm the full Council had sanctioned the sale on October 29, 2020.
Further to that, he said a simple check was carried out to confirm whether the Council had paid the consent fee, certificate of FTE and browsed through his “black list” of parcels that are under forfeiture or resumption or before the High Court.
McNeil said the Council has satisfied all the requirements like confirmation of consent fee paid, valid certificate of FTE and it was not under the “black list” as there’s no case before the High Court, plus there was also a minute of the meeting last year.
But Aiwosuga told Island Sun every meeting he attended or was aware of last yesterday never discussed the land sale.
