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Court in Samoa strikes out village council 25 million dollar land claim

The Supreme Court in Samoa has upheld the Samoa government Trust Estates Corporation strike out motion against a land compensation claim of around 25 million US dollars by Satapuala village council.The same ruling has also struck out the Alii and Faipule or village council claim for the return of more than eight thousand acres of land situated at Faleolo opposite the international airport.The village matais claimed that the disputed land, was unlawfully sold during the German and New Zealand administrations.But the court has ruled that prior to 1889 there was no legislation controlling or prohibiting the alienation of land in Samoa.The court says there is also no evidence of any custom that land in Samoa could not be alienated to aliens or foreigners during the pre-Berlin Act period.