THE High Court in Lautoka has ordered the Fiji Sugar Corporation to release the title of a half-acre farm to a Ba sugarcane grower who bought the land for $26 in 1973 from the Colonial Sugar Refinery Company.

The case was first called at the High Court in Lautoka in 2009 when canefarmer Ram Gir, who was 77 at the time, sued the FSC, the Director of Lands and the Attorney-General for the piece of land which he maintained had been bought by him from the CSR.

During the trial the sugarcane farmer said he was paying $2 per annum as rent to FSC.

The court, through Justice Daniel Finnigan, had ruled against Mr Gir’s application.

However, in 2010 the 77-year-old’s appeal against the ruling was accepted with the Court of Appeal ruling that the title of the land be transferred to Mr Gir and that proper accounts be sorted out by the High Court.

This month, Justice Anare Tuilevuka issued a final ruling, awarding the title to the now 84-year-old.

For more on this story, purchase a copy of today’s the Fiji Times or subscribe to our e-Edition.