Solomon Islands Prime Minister Fears Arrest

Although currently in Fiji for the 16-nation pacific Islands Forum, the Solomon Islands' Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare expressed his serious concerns on Tuesday, with regard to his potential arrest over the entire Julain Moti affair upon his return to his home country on Thursday.

According to a Papua New Guinea newspaper, the Post-Courier, the series of statements were delivered to his Papua New Guinea counterpart, adding that the police do possess enough circumstantial evidence against him, given the fact that Moti, an Australian-based lawyer, is an adviser to Sogavare and also a friend of his, since the Solomon Islands Prime Minister had already highlighted his intent to name the Australian the next attorney-general of his country. The information was brought to him by his press secretary, Deli Oso, who had declared that she and other personnel officials had actually herd rumors that the Prime Minister might be placed under arrest on his arrival in the Solomon Islands. "If there is a plan then the plan is illegal", she highlighted nonetheless.

Moreover, the Pacific Island official also refused to hand over Moti despite the Canberra administration's numerous requests, which is why the Australian police conducted the raid on the Prime Minister's house in Honiara last Friday, looking for Moti, who has already been charged with child abuse-related offences on Australian soil.

In view of such developments, Sogavare has already proposed a more reduced role of Australia in the Regional Assistance Mission (RAMSI) in his country, during the first day of the forum. His proposal was included in a five point plan, which desires to perform some changes on the basis on which all activities are carried out. The proposal is going to be reviewed in the following days by the Pacific Islands' leaders reunited in Fiji.

If successful, the proposal, which envisions a greater role for the Pacific, in order to be more representative of it, would seriously hit Australia since the country currently provides most of the money and the personnel involved in the operations.