Australian lawyer fleeing sex charges escapes to Solomons

CANBERRA - The fugitive chief legal officer of the Solomon Islands has reached safety in the Solomons after fleeing an extradition warrant lodged by Australia over child sex charges, Australia's government said today.

Attorney-General Julian Moti took refuge inside the Solomons mission in Papua New Guinea (PNG) 10 days ago after skipping bail, sparking a trilateral diplomatic row drawing in PNG.

But Moti fled PNG as Port Moresby continued wrangling with Canberra over whether to act on the extradition letter, which has angered the country's prime minister.

``He has apparently escaped from Papua New Guinea on a charter plane to one of the outer provinces of Solomon Islands,'' Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told ABC radio.

Moti is wanted over alleged sex offences committed in Vanuatu in 1997. Under Australian law Moti, an Australian citizen, can be charged with sex offences committed overseas.

But Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare accused Canberra of conducting a political witch-hunt in retaliation over the expulsion last month of Australia's top diplomat in Honiara.

Moti was being questioned by Solomons Islands police and Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) officers at Munda airfield in Western Province, where he arrived on a PNG military plane shortly after 5am (0700 NZT).

The aircraft was used without government permission, said a spokeswoman for PNG Prime Minister Michael Somare.

Downer said Moti had been detained on arrival despite the backing of the Sogavare government, adding he was disappointed PNG had not taken more action and would continue to press the Solomons to hand Moti over.

A frustrated Downer said Moti's flight pointed to the governance problems which have plagued small Pacific nations, despite millions of dollars in foreign aid.

``We're providing about A$300 million ($343.97 million) a year to PNG of Australian taxpayers' money, we spent about A$800 million) trying to salvage the Solomon Islands,'' he said. ``This Moti affair stands tall as an illustration of the sort of problems that we are struggling with.''

In April Australia led an international force of troops and police to the Solomons to end post-election rioting which threatened to bring the country to collapse.

Australia issued fresh travel bulletins to its citizens on Tuesday warning of unrest as the political instability continued.

- REUTERS