Julian Moti

Julian Moti is the Attorney General of the Solomon Islands.  The Australian-born Moti was appointed to this position on 10 July 2007. Australia contested his appointment, because he is wanted in Australia on child sex tourism charges.  He is alleged to have raped a 13-year-old Vanuatu girl in 1997.  Initially, Moti hid out in Papua New Guinea, but when Australian forces were about to arrest him and extradite him to Australia in October of 2006, Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare helped Moti escape to the Solomon Islands.

Moti has expressed concerns that Australia’s continued demands for his extradition to face the charges against him are part of a plot that will culminate in his assassination.  He is a controversial figure even in the Solomon Islands, where the Opposition party has said that if they gain control of the government, they will extradite him to Australia.  Current Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has stood by his appointment of Moti, and has characterized Australia’s continued attempts to have him extradited as racist.  He faced a no-confidence vote in August 2007 (which he survived) based mainly on his actions in support of Moti.

Moti himself claims that the charges in Vanuatu against him in the matter were dropped, but a court registrar in Vanuatu reported otherwise in September.  There is some evidence that the charges may have lapsed.

For more information, please see:

Fugitive Sworn in as Solomons AG (10 July 2007)

Leaked Report Implicates PNG PM in Moti Flight (31 July 2007)

PM Faces No-Confidence Vote (03 August 2007)

Sogavare Lodges Complains Against Vanuatu Registrar for Moti Inquiry Letter (03 September 2007)

Australia Pursues Moti Prosecution, Inquiry Documents “Missing” in PNG (11 September 2007)

Moti Fears Assassination Attempts by Australia (25 September 2007)