Lands chief McNeil faces criminal complaint
BY ALFRED PAGEPITU
PARI Development Company Limited has reported a criminal complaint against Commissioner of Lands, Alan McNeil to Central Police Station.
In a letter sent to police on Friday, May 21, PARI Managing Director, Donald Bato said the complaint relates to certain false statements made under oath in a Sworn Statement filed in the High Court by McNeil.
Bato said the false statement relates to paragraph 9 of the sworn statement by McNeil when he said the Pari Development Company Ltd has already sold its Fixed Term Estate in Parcel Number 098-016-1 to Pacific Everest Company Ltd on March 7, 2018.
This relates to a land on Noro, Western Province.
He said at that time McNeil made the sworn statement, the fixed term estate was registered in the name of Pari Development Company Ltd, and has never been sold nor offered for sale to Pacific Everest Company Ltd.
“As the Commissioner of Lands, McNeil would need to grant his consent for the sale,” Bato said.
“McNeil knew or ought to have known that no sale could be affected without his written consent,” he added.
Bato said McNeil’s consent would have been given upon a request by either Pari Development Company Ltd or Pacific Everest Company Ltd.
However, when Island Sun contacted McNeil yesterday, he said he stands by his sworn statement.
