THE Island Sun apologises to Axiom KB Limited for misleading and false statements that were included in a letter to the editor published by it on 7 April 2017 under the heading ‘Axiom’s presence in Isabel. In fact, contrary to statements made in that letter:
Axiom is committed to maintaining a presence in Isabel Province and to that end holds a prospecting licence for San Jorge and has applied for a mining lease for the San Jorge tenement and a fresh prospecting licence over the Kolosori land. Both applications were lodged after the Court of Appeal delivered its reasons for judgment on 21 March 2016 which reasons are reflected in the final orders.
The Court of Appeal did not declare Axiom’s San Jorge prospecting licence to be invalid. Axiom maintains that the final orders made by the Court of Appeal cannot have the effect of rendering Axiom’s prospecting licence over the San Jorge tenement invalid because the validity of the San Jorge prospecting was not before the Court and the San Jorge landowners were not represented in the proceedings.
Axiom recently announced that it submitted an application for a mining lease for San Jorge not Kolosori.
The Court of Appeal found that Axiom’s lease over the Kolosori land was invalid due to a failure by the Commissioner of Lands to comply with the provisions in the Land and Titles Act and not because of any conduct by Axiom.
THE Island Sun corrects the article published on 24 March 2017 entitled ‘Court Rules in Favour of Sumitomo’. In fact it is not correct to say that the Court ruled in favour of Sumitomo. In the long running proceedings between Sumitomo and Axiom the Court of Appeal declined Sumitomo’s application for judicial review and found that Sumitomo was not entitled to a prospecting licence because it was guilty of land banking.
The headline to the article may have also suggested to readers that judgment has been delivered in the contempt of court proceedings as the hearing in that matter on 20 March is by far the most recent Court proceedings between Sumitomo and Axiom. In fact on 20 March the High Court heard an application by Sumitomo asking the judge to disqualify himself from hearing Axiom’s application that Sumitomo be found guilty of contempt of court. Judgment on the application that the judge disqualify himself was reserved, that it is it has not been delivered yet.
The Island Sun apologies for misleading its readers. http://theislandsun.com/apology-2/
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