News In Briefs

It looks like the nations of the South Pacific want to give Australia a time-out, and not the tasty chocolate kind. Attempts to extradite Julian Moti have been met with accusations of bullying by Soloman Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. Here’s the latest from AAP:

Sogavare fears he will be arrested over the Julian Moti affair when he returns home later this week.
Sogavare is in Fiji for the Pacific Islands Forum and has told his Papua New Guinea counterpart he could be arrested when he flies home on Thursday, PNG's Post-Courier newspaper reported today.
On Friday, a day after Sogavare left for the forum, police raided his offices in Honiara looking for evidence of involvement in Moti's illegal entry into the Solomons from PNG.
Moti - an Australian lawyer who is a friend and adviser to Sogavare - was able to flee PNG, aboard a PNG military plane, despite Australia's efforts to extradite him on child sex charges.
Sogavare wants the Australian to become his country's next attorney-general and has refused Canberra's demands to hand him over.
The Solomons Immigration Minister Peter Shanel has already been arrested on deception charges related to Moti's arrival in the Solomons, and Sogavare fears the same fate, the newspaper said.
The Post-Courier said Somare tried to offer Sogavare some comfort when the pair discussed the Solomons leader's fears of arrest.
He told Sogavare he hoped "Australia would not go to that extent of arresting the Solomons prime minister".
In Honiara, Sogavare's press secretary Deli Oso said she and other staff had heard rumours that the prime minister might be arrested upon his return.
"If there is a plan then the plan is illegal," she said.
During Friday's raid, Solomons and Australian police serving there seized a fax machine thought to have been used to send an exemption order to Moti, authorising him to enter the Solomons without valid travel documents.
Canberra had earlier cancelled his Australian passport.
A Honiara court has been told the immigration minister Shanel denied issuing Moti with an exemption order.
However just such a document, signed by Shanel, was allegedly made, according to Solomons Police Commissioner, Australian Shane Castles.
Sogavare - together with the leaders of PNG, Fiji and Vanuatu - issued a statement yesterday condemning the raid on his Honiara offices as provocative and unnecessary.
It was also a "a serious violation of Solomon Islands territorial sovereignty and integrity," the statement said.
Somare went further, later labelling Australia arrogant over the raid and Canberra's decision to suspend ministerial contact with PNG until it explains Moti's escape aboard a PNG military plane.
The Moti affair has severely damaged Australia's diplomatic relations with the Solomons and PNG.
Sogavare has threatened to oust Australians serving with the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) if Canberra continues to pursue Moti.
At the forum in Fiji today, he presented Pacific leaders with a plan to reduce Australia's role in the mission.
But it is understood to have been rejected by forum members, who fear what might happen in the Solomons if the Australians were pulled or forced out of the country.
Meanwhile, Moti - who is on bail on charges of illegally entering the Solomons - appeared for mention in the Honiara Magistrates Court today. He did not comment to the media.
Moti's associate and Sogavare's nephew, Robson Djokovic, also appeared today on charges of aiding Moti's escape from PNG.
He said it was obvious that the pursuit of Moti was politically motivated.
Djokovic was on the PNG flight with Moti and Honiara lawyer Chris Hapa but said they and the Solomons government had nothing to do with organising it.
"You can refer to us as cargo," Djokovic said.
Meanwhile, Melbourne silk Nathan Moshinsky left the Solomons today after cutting short his posting as the Solomons solicitor-general.
Sogavare last week threatened to "deal with" Moshinsky and the police chief Castles, accusing them of "spearheading" the "unnecessary arrest, detention and humiliation" of his immigration minister.
He accused them of being influenced "by their ultimate loyalty to Canberra".
Moshinsky cited family issues and the deteriorating political situation as reasons for leaving. He said he knew nothing of reports the government was moving to deport him.
Castles - targeted for removal by Sogavare - today said he was offended by suggestions he was a puppet for Canberra and was seeking advice on the Solomons government's threats to slash his wages.