Aust PM vows to get Moti
Wednesday October 04, 2006

Australian PM John Howard.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard vows to do everything in his power to pressure Honiara to give up controversial Indo-Fijian lawyer Julian Moti so he can face a child sex charge in Australia.

Howard also told ABC Radio that the Solomon Islands Government is confused over the status of Moti who was appointed the troubled isles attorney general a month ago.

Moti is currently hiding in the Solomon Islands High Commission in Papua New Guinea, under diplomatic protection after managing to flee from PNG police who had earlier detained him upon Australia's request.

There are also unconfirmed reports from Solomon Island's Judicial and Legal Service Commission that Moti's appointment as attorney-general had been terminated.

"I think there is confusion but its confusion within the jurisdiction of the Solomon Islands Government," Mr Howard said.

"We have a very simple attitude in relation to Mr Moti, and that is that there are certain offences with which he's been charged and he should be brought to justice to answer those charges.

"He shouldn't be harboured in a high commission in another country. That is quite inappropriate and we'll continue to argue so."

Australia is seeking Moti's extradition to face alleged rape charges of a 14-year-old girl in Vanuatu in 1997.

He was arrested at Port Moresby, on Friday but was granted bail and failed to attend scheduled court hearings the next day.

There are reports that the Solomons High Commissioner to PNG has cut short a trip to Fiji and will return to Port Moresby later today.

According to the Courier Mail, an officer with PNG's Transnational Crime Unit said police could not arrest Mr Moti while he was on a property covered by diplomatic immunity.

He said police were steering clear of all the "political goings on" over the Moti case.