Geggie A Udui

A large land covering 16 lots and consisting about one million square meters located in Aimeliik State near the border with Ngatpang state, has been awarded to Trei caln, the highest ranking clan of Imul Hamlet of Aimeliik State in a recent ruling of the Palau Land Court. Several clans and individuals claimed various parts of the land including Ngerungel Cheluil, Chomaoch, and Yii clans and Abina Etpison and Tmatk Timulch. In its August 1, 2017 determination of ownership, the Land Court determined that the land consisting of several areas with different Palauan names such as Ongerarekieu, Ulengall, Ngeruchael, Drucheldanges, Ongsekikl, and Ngcherull, is the property of Trei and rejected the claims of other claimants. The land contains the proposed national waste dump site that has been identified by the national government and is being prepared as one of the major projects of the government that has been in the making for many years. 

After the hearing from the claimants and their witnesses during the hearing on June 12, 2017, the Court states that Rechekemur Remoket Ngiriou's testimony that Trei clan was dissolved when a woman from Ngerungel clan married into Trei clan and acquired its title and land was not credible and was contradicted by witnesses for Trei including Geggie Udui, Fred Andres, Gloria Andres, and Noah Secharraimul. Both Ngiriou and Trei witnesses that the subject lots were located in-land and were settled by early members of Trei who came on land in Babeldaob while ancestors of Ngerungel clan came from water later and were told to settle on the lower part of Imul near the water where they have lands. 

In its findings of facts, the Court found that Aimeliik has no Tochi Daicio and written land records of land ownership to show clearly and identify public and private lands and further found that the lots in dispute are not public lands as defined in the law, 35 PNC 101. The Court found that Trei and Ngerungel clans are the first and second ranking clans of Imul Hamlet respectively and their male chief titles are Secharraimul and Rechekemur. The Court states that "The lots before the Court are all owned by Trei clan" and "Ngerungel clan owns properties within Imul Hamlet but the lots before the Court are not among them".

The also stated that the stipulation signed by Fred Andres during the hearing conveying four lots to Dirrengechel Sariang Timulch and Jason Techur Timulch, is invalid as strong senior members of Trei did not consent to it. Disputes over male and female titles of Trei clan has been going on for years and was finally settle in Court in 2015 when the Court ruled that Hatsuitchi Ngirchomlei is Secharraimul, not Fred Andres, while Geggie A. Edui is Dilsecharraimu. Aimeliik State Public Lands Authority did not have any claims in the records and showed during the hearing but did not stay to present its claim. It later filed a separate lawsuit before the Supreme Court claiming the land as public land and asking the court to invalidate the claims of Trei and other claimants before the issuance of the DO by the Land Court.