{"id":50376,"date":"2023-10-05T23:08:30","date_gmt":"2023-10-05T23:08:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/cat-out-of-the-bag-gm-properties-limited-illegally-constructed-on-public-land"},"modified":"2023-10-05T23:15:42","modified_gmt":"2023-10-05T23:15:42","slug":"cat-out-of-the-bag-gm-properties-limited-illegally-constructed-on-public-land","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/cat-out-of-the-bag-gm-properties-limited-illegally-constructed-on-public-land","title":{"rendered":"Cat out of the bag: \u201cGM Properties Limited illegally constructed on public land\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Malawi. <\/strong><\/span>Crookedness and deception of GM Properties Limited has finally been exposed following revelations that the company illegally constructed on public land in Area 26.<\/p>\n

Former Lilongwe District Lands Officer James Mwenda \u2013 now District Commissioner for Salima \u2013 revealed that the company went behind its back by commencing construction work on a piece of land whose original owners it never compensated.<\/p>\n

Mwenda was responding to questions from defense lawyer, Counsel Oscar Taulo, who wanted to know if it was procedural for GM Properties Limited to start developing the land before paying compensations to the occupants.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonourable DC, was GM Properties Limited allowed to start developing the land before compensating the villagers? What is supposed to be the first between paying compensations and developing the land?\u201d asked Taulo.<\/p>\n

In his response, Mwenda indicated that GM Properties Limited was in contravention of the law by commencing construction work before compensating the villagers.<\/p>\n

Taulo further sought clarification from the DC on whether the company acted within the law by initiating the process of a lease for the land before compensating the residents.<\/p>\n

Again, Mwenda stated that the company acted dishonestly securing a lease without the knowledge of Lilongwe District Council.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, I can\u2019t explain how the company got the title deed. But Let me re-emphasize that processing of a title deed (lease) can only start after all the development affected people have been duly compensated. In this case and to our knowledge [at Lilongwe District Council], none of the villagers has been compensated to date,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n

During cross-examination, leader lawyer for the claimant Jefferson Luwa insisted that his client duly compensated the villagers.<\/p>\n

But Mwenda challenged Luwa to produce the documents to support the claim.<\/p>\n

\u201cActually, it is supposed to be the other way round. The developer [GM Properties Limited] was supposed to issue a cheque to the council, which the council would, in turn, encash and pay the development affected persons, with each one of persons signing against the amount he or she has received. In our case, nothing of that sort happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cTherefore, it\u2019s not true that the villagers were duly compensated when we don\u2019t any documentation to support the said payment,\u201d said the DC.<\/p>\n

Speaking to journalists after the court proceedings, Counsel Taulo said it was evident from the testimonies tendered, so far, that GM Properties Limited wanted to take advantage of the villagers\u2019 lack of knowledge and awareness on their rights to \u201csteal\u201d the land.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is evident from what the witnesses have furnished the court with that the claimant had ill-intentions. But I am happy that the truth is now coming out and we are confident that these villagers, who have lived a miserable life because of the deceptive tactics by the claimant, will get the justice they have been looking for,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the presiding High Court judge Howard Pemba has adjourned the case to a later date after the Commissioner for Lands, Iman Malijani, indicated that he needed seven days to gather the information that Judge Pemba is requesting from his office.<\/p>\n

Among others, the learned judge is demanding documentary evidence to support the claim GM Properties Limited is making that it compensated the villagers.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Malawi<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Malawi. Crookedness and deception of GM Properties Limited has finally been exposed following revelations that the company illegally constructed on public land in Area 26. Former Lilongwe District Lands Officer James Mwenda \u2013 now District Commissioner for Salima \u2013 revealed that the company went behind its back by commencing construction work on a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":50374,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[233,371,234],"class_list":["post-50376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-community","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-malawi","tag-malawi"],"yoast_head":"\nCat out of the bag: \u201cGM Properties Limited illegally constructed on public land\u201d - Malawi<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Crookedness and deception of GM Properties Limited has finally been exposed following revelations that the company illeg ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/cat-out-of-the-bag-gm-properties-limited-illegally-constructed-on-public-land\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cat out of the bag: \u201cGM Properties Limited illegally constructed on public land\u201d\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Crookedness and deception of GM Properties Limited has finally been exposed following revelations that the company illeg ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/cat-out-of-the-bag-gm-properties-limited-illegally-constructed-on-public-land\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Malawi\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-10-05T23:08:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-10-05T23:15:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/malawi\/sites\/36\/2023\/10\/sm_1696535057.868366.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/cat-out-of-the-bag-gm-properties-limited-illegally-constructed-on-public-land#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/cat-out-of-the-bag-gm-properties-limited-illegally-constructed-on-public-land\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Cat out of the bag: \u201cGM Properties Limited illegally constructed on public land\u201d\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-10-05T23:08:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-10-05T23:15:42+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/cat-out-of-the-bag-gm-properties-limited-illegally-constructed-on-public-land\"},\"wordCount\":557,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/cat-out-of-the-bag-gm-properties-limited-illegally-constructed-on-public-land#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/malawi\/sites\/36\/2023\/10\/sm_1696535057.868366.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Africa Press\",\"Africa Press-Malawi\",\"Malawi\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"community\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/cat-out-of-the-bag-gm-properties-limited-illegally-constructed-on-public-land#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/cat-out-of-the-bag-gm-properties-limited-illegally-constructed-on-public-land\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/cat-out-of-the-bag-gm-properties-limited-illegally-constructed-on-public-land\",\"name\":\"Cat out of the bag: \u201cGM Properties Limited illegally constructed on public land\u201d - 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