PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) — The Solomon Islands government has blocked a Papua New Guinea Defense Force inquiry team from visiting Honiara to investigate the escape of wanted Australian lawyer Julian Moti.
On a visit to Port Moresby last week, Solomons Islands Foreign Minister Patteson Oti conveyed the decision to the PNG government, saying the proposed visit was inappropriate.
The board of inquiry, headed by PNG Justice Gibbs Salika, planned to fly to Honiara yesterday to further investigate Moti’s escape from Port Moresby on a PNG military flight to the Solomons in October.
Canberra was angered that PNG’s military facilitated Moti’s escape when Australian authorities were seeking to extradite him to face child sex charges.
Oti told PNG’s Foreign Minister Paul Tiensten that the board of inquiry’s jurisdiction did not extend to the Solomons and it was an internal matter for PNG.
“This is a sovereign decision of the government of Solomon Islands and therefore we called on the understanding of the Papua New Guinea government on the matter,” he said in a statement.
Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare wants Moti as his attorney general but the country’s Public Service Commission suspended his appointment because of the serious nature of the Australian charges against him.
Moti’s escape flight was arranged after Mr Sogavare requested the PNG government to allow him to travel to Honiara.
PNG’s Prime Minister Michael Somare has denied sanctioning the flight.
Oti also won confirmation from the PNG government that it was willing to assist in the training of Solomon Islands police officers.
Sogavare was at odds with the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, which is training Solomons police over his plans to rearm that force, starting with his close protection unit officers.
RAMSI special coordinator Tim George said there was no evidence Solomon lslanders wanted guns back in their communities following years of ethnic unrest involving armed factions and police officers.
Sogavare accused Australia of bullying tactics in opposing his rearming plan and of pressuring Taiwan to withdraw firearms instruction for 12 Solomons police officers sent to Taipei for training this month.
It is not clear if the planned PNG training for Solomons Islands officers will include firearms training.
Sogavare said his government will re-arm the police with the help of a new police commissioner to be appointed soon to replace Australian Shane Castles, who the Solomons government has barred from returning from holidays in Australia.
The prime minister accused Castles of acting in Canberra’s interests.
Oti told PNG officials that PNG’s former Police Commissioner Sam Inguba is on a list of candidates to take over as Solomons Islands police commissioner.