Land buyers must conduct due diligence before purchase — Raphael Hokey

Acting Deputy Executive Secretary in charge of operations at the Lands Commission, Raphael Hokey, has cautioned prospective land buyers to conduct thorough due diligence before purchasing property to protect themselves from fraud, competing ownership claims and costly legal disputes.

Speaking at the launch of the Republic Bank JoyNews Habitat Fair on August 11, Mr Hokey said the process should include physically inspecting the land, obtaining and verifying the site plan, conducting an official search at the Lands Commission and confirming that the person offering the property for sale has the legal authority to do so.

Mr Hokey therefore urged anyone seeking to acquire land to resist pressure to complete transactions hastily and instead take the time to verify all relevant documents, conduct the necessary searches and establish the legitimacy of the transaction before making payment.