Qarase replies to Momi Bay land accusations April 9, 2013 | Filed - TopicsExpress

Qarase replies to Momi Bay land accusations April 9, 2013 | Filed under: Fiji News | Posted by: newsroom By JYOTI PRATIBHA Former Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase has replied to comments made by the Attorney–General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, and the Prime Minister. Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, on the controversial Momi Bay land transaction. Mr Qarase, who was the prime minister during the transaction, said the accusations did not reflect the full facts of the case. Commodore Bainimarama has accused the Qarase-led government of permanently alienating iTaukei land despite the so called entrenchment of the (iTaukei) Land Trust Act. The Commodore Bainimarama–led government says it has now put in place laws that will stop such conversion of iTaukei land to freehold land. Mr Qarase said in a statement: “The land transaction in question involved the swap or exchange of 68.7 hectares of native land owned by Tokatoka Nasau with freehold land of equivalent value owned by Matapo Limited, the developer of Momi Bay Resort Project. “Upon exchange the native land was to be converted to freehold and the Matapo freehold was to be converted to native land and registered under Tokatoka Nasau. There was no loss of native land in the transaction because of the equivalent freehold land and other benefits in exchange.” He said the conversion of the native land to freehold was completed, but the conversion of freehold to native land had yet to be completed because of the events of 2006. He said the then Native Land Trust Board gave its approval to the deal and his government sanctioned the land swap under the Land Transfer Act. “The bottom line is that the landowner, as owners of the land, agreed to exchange their asset with a similar asset of equivalent value. It was a voluntary act on their part, and they were satisfied and happy with what they received,” he said. “The Momi Land transaction was an isolated case which all parties concerned approved and came away satisfied with the outcome. “There were two precedents for similar land transactions. In the Hyatt Hotel and Denarau development projects there were similar land exchange transactions, both during the SVT government.”