The court case between the Native Land Trust Board and the Fiji Development Bank is expected to get underway in the next few months after the NLTB took legal action against the FDB and others in relation to a loan taken by businessman, Ballu Khan and his company.
NLTB General Manager, Alipate Qetaki said they have taken this path based on a number of grounds, after the FDB granted Khan and his company the loan following a document purporting that the loan is guaranteed by the NLTB.
The alleged guarantee basically means that the loan taken by Ballu Khan prior to the events of 2006, would have to be paid by the NLTB if Khan does not make the repayments.
Qetaki says the court action has been taken in the best interest of the landowners after the FDB served the demand notice to the NLTB to repay Khan's 3 million dollar loan.
The current administration of NLTB is arguing that the NLTB board was not aware of the loan guarantee.
This matter came to light after the Prime Minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, who is also the Chairman of the NLTB, raised the issue while briefing the villagers of Dawasamu last week.
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NLTB/FDB court case in next few months
