Oil palm farmer Cobbold anak Lusoi in a suit he filed in the High Court has accused a government subsidiary company of seizing three parcels of his land, preventing him from entering the site and threatening him with bodily injuries if he does.

Cobbold also claimed that the company, Winsome Pelita (Pantu) Sdn Bhd, destroyed 3,000 of his rubber trees and other fruit trees on the 30 hectares of titled land.

At the same time, Winsome Pelita lodged a false police report, resulting in him and his workers being arrested and locked up at a police station.

Cobbold (right) said he inherited the three parcels of land from his grandfather, Penghulu Ulie anak Linang.

Pelita, a subsidiary of the Sarawak government’s Land Custody Development Authority (LCDA), formed a joint venture with Winsome Sdn Bhd, a Johor-based oil palm company to operate an oil palm estate in Pantu, Sri Aman.

Winsome, formerly known as Tetangga Arkab, has been operating the oil palm estate in the Pantu area since 2007.

Last Thursday, Cobbold through Paul Anyie Raja of law firm M/s Sagau, Raja & Co, filed his suit against Winsome Pelita in the High Court in Kuching.

In his statement of claim, Cobbold wants a declaration that he is entitled to the three parcels of land and an injunction restraining the defendants and their servants or agents from entering, hindering, interfering and threatening him and his workers from occupying the  land.

He also wants the court to order a prohibitory injunction restraining the defendants and their workers or agents from trespassing, entering and or occupying the said land.

Land entered into in 2007

Unless restrained, the defendants would continue to threaten and hinder him from occupying the land, he said, and applied for damages, interests, costs and other orders and relief the court deemed fit.

Cobbold in his suit says the defendants had in 2007, by themselves and/or through their servants or agents, entered and trespassed upon his land by clearing the area, planting oil palm thereon and taking possession of the land.

He claimed that the defendants or their servants or agents under also threatened him, his servants and or his agents and workers with injuries and even death.

They also lodged a false report against him and his workers, resulting in their false arrest.

Cobbold said he has been continually hindered from entering and accessing the land due to the blockade, interference and threats from the defendants.

Winsome Pelita has 14 days from the day the writ is served on the company to enter its appearance.