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JULIAN Moti, the man PNG officials
allegedly broke the law to spirit to Solomon Islands in a secret night
flight last year, was sworn in as the new attorney-general for Solomon
Islands yesterday.
Moti promptly announced that those responsible for the ordeal he had
gone through during the past months will be made known in due course.
Mr Moti made the statement during his speech to mark the official oaths
administration of his appointment before the governor-general of Solomon
Islands Sir Nathaniel Waena, which was more than 10 months after he was
initially appointed to take up the post in September 2006.
“When my appeal is finally heard and determined by Papua New Guinea’s
judiciary, we will find out who was responsible for the mess that was
officially created for my official transit through Port Moresby on Sept
29, 2006.
“Justice will prevail there to exonerate me once again from the sins
which others committed to postpone what was finally allowed to occur
today,” Moti said during the ceremony.
"Justice will finally triumph when the responsible Australian
prosecutorial authorities confront our Government's lawyers to discuss
what was fact and what was fiction in the case which they want to mount
against me," he said.
The ceremony was also attended by the Solomon Islands prime minister
Manasseh Sogavare.
Moti thanked those who stood by him during his trial and ordeal while
assuring ordinary Solomon Islanders that they will be horrified to learn
who was ultimately responsible for the decision that led him to his
misfortune.
An inquiry costing over K2 million was launched into who was behind the
secret but illegal flight on Oct 10, but Prime Minister Sir Michael
Somare, allegedly implicated in the report, has refused to make it
public, saying it was full of giaman.
MADANG: The Solomon Islands government
defiantly ramped up its dispute with Canberra yesterday, swearing in
Australian fugitive Julian Moti as the country’s new attorney-general.
Australia had condemned the move as provocative and offensive, saying it
was “extraordinary” that the Solomons government has appointed a man who
was wanted on child sex charges as its top legal officer.
It also vowed to continue seeking Moti’s extradition “vigorously”.
Moti, an Australian lawyer and close personal friend of Solomons prime
minister Manasseh Sogavare, is at the centre of an almost year-long
dispute that has seen bilateral relations hit rock bottom.
Sogavare has repeatedly blocked Australia’s efforts to extradite Moti
over allegations that he raped a 13-year-old girl in Vanuatu in 1997.
He claims Australia is pursuing Moti for unspecified political reasons,
and at the height of the dispute last year accused Canberra of using
bully-boy tactics to try to control what happened in South Pacific
nations.
He also tried, but failed, to have Australia’s role in the
Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (Ramsi)
watered down.
Prime minister John Howard yesterday said Moti’s appointment would not
have a direct effect on Australia’s involvement in the law and order
mission, which was very important to the Pacific nation’s future.
But he said it was impossible to fathom why Sogavare’s government wanted
Moti as its attorney-general. – AAP
 
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