|
|
|
|
| National |
| State company in land wrangle |
|
by
Joseph Langa, 28 May 2004
-
13:10:43
|
Airport Development Limited (ADL) has been taken by surprise when a piece of land next to their offices in Lilongwe allocated to them by Ministry of Lands was offered to another businessman.
The businessman, Mahomed Jawaat has placed advertisements on the land in the name of Habib Mussa, who he claims to be his friend, asking for applications from prospective tenants requiring office space built to their specifications.
“Proposed site for offices available now! An invaluable opportunity exists to acquire office space in the heart of Lilongwe’s capital city. We are currently looking for applications from prospective tenants who require office space built to their specification.
“A 9 to 15 month completion period is expected for approved applications. All interested parties should contact Habib on 08830780, 01725830,01724887,” reads the two advertisements placed on the land in question.
ADL company secretary Ezra Dzoole confirmed in an interview yesterday the land next to their premises on which adverts have been placed belongs to them.
He said his company bought it from Ministry of Land in 1996 and has plans to develop it.
“We were surprised that someone is advertising it looking for tenants purporting that the land belongs to him. When we went to the ministry we discovered that it has been offered to someone else.
“Even our documents were missing in the file. But the officials said they don’t know what happened,” said Dzoole.
Mussa, whose name appears on the advertisements, said in an interview yesterday, the land belongs to his friend Jawaat. Mussa added that Jawaat advertised in his (Mussa’s) name because he spends most of his time outside the country on official business.
“But he (Jawaat) told me that he bought the land from the Ministry of Lands. He is currently outside the country but I will try to phone him to contact Ministry of Lands now that there is this development,” said Mussa.
But Dzoole insisted ADL owns the land saying they are just waiting for a title deed which he claimed the Ministry of Lands promised to process after approval of development plans by the Lilongwe City Assembly.
“The last time we spoke to the ministry we were assured that they will not process the deed for the purported owners,” said Dzoole.
Controller of Lands Patrick Yasini in an interview Wednesday confirmed that the ministry allocated the land to ADL sometime back. He denied that the land has been allocated to another investor.
“Government gives out land on agreement that it should be developed within a particular period failing which it has powers to take it back. Government loses revenue when the land remains idle and it is also expensive to look after it.
“We have not given the land to anybody but ADL should develop it otherwise government welcomes any serious investor who will have his plans approved by the city assembly,” Yasini said.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
