13 Dec 2006

Solomons court drops all charges against suspended AG Moti

7:36 pm on 13 December 2006

The magistrate's court in Honiara has dismissed the case against the suspended Solomon Islands attorney general, Julian Moti.

Mr Moti, who is an Australian lawyer, had been on bail after being charged with illegal entry after he flew into the country on a clandestine Papua New Guinea military flight without a valid passport.

He is wanted by Australia on a child sex charge relating to incidents in Vanuatu in 1997.

Our correspondent, Dorothy Wickham, says Mr Moti is now free.

"Everybody is now wondering here whether he will still pursue the idea of becoming the attorney general because he is still suspended as such as far as the Public Service Commission is concerned. That's still an issue that he has to deal with."

Dorothy Wickham