By Bernadette H. Carreon
Horizon news staff

The Supreme Court Appellate Division has affirmed the judgment of the Trial Division awarding the ownership of the land known as Ngerias to Sam Masang and Gabriela Ngirmang.
In a two-page opinion, the division said the Koror State Public Lands Authority challenged the trial court’s decision.
The trial division found that Salii Ngiraikelau owned Ngerias as individual land before the Japanese government expropriated it.
The opinion said that after World War II , Ngerias became public land eventually held in trust by KSPLA.
The opinion further added that Salii died intestate in 1967 with no surviving spouse and no natural children in its initial judgment.
The trial court then ruled that the proper heirsare Masang and Ngirmang.
The appellate court ruled in favor of Masang and Ngirmang saying that no additional fact-finding was needed and it is "unnecessary for us to review the trial division’s additional factual findings."