"Hooton Barking Up Wrong Tree": Sogavare

"Hooton barking up wrong tree": PM Sogavare

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has rebuffed Australian High Commissioner, Peter Hooton's recent statements pointing to Attorney General Julian Moti QC as "the principal author" of the SIG's 666 Questionnaire and extradition rejection letter.

"The High Commissioner's suspicions about Attorney General Moti's involvement are based on speculation and contradicted by the truth. His theory is just as flawed as the Australian Government's criminal prosecution of Moti. The truth of the matter is that Moti did not draft the 666 Questionnaire or the extradition rejection letter", Prime Minister Sogavare said.

The Government retained an independent team of expert legal and forensic advisers to handle the processing of Australia's extradition request.

"Cabinet and Caucus were fully briefed by them on the legalities and merits of the case before the 666 Questionnaire was submitted to Australia. After receipt of Australia's reply, it was carefully vetted by our team of lawyers and one of them actually came here last weekend to advise us on our legal options and assisted the Minister in formulating the letter which communicated his final decision", Mr Sogavare explained.

"Australia's replies to the 666 Questionnaire were not released at its request to treat them as confidential. If they were released, the Solomon Islands public would be the better judge of how non-responsive, self-serving and evasive Australia's answers actually were and why they compelled the decision the Minister ultimately made!"

Prime Minister Sogavare said: "We can appreciate why the Australian Government is disappointed with Moti's appointment as our Attorney General but that doesn't give High Commissioner Hooton any licence to ventilate his personal suspicions about Moti's authorship role when the facts contradict such speculation".

"Innuendo is what has driven Australia's pursuit of Moti till now and remains the overarching basis of their prosecution and persecution of our Attorney General.

"My Government has now made its decision and wants that respected by Australia so we can move on despite that to less antagonistic fields of cooperative endeavour for the betterment of Solomon Islands", he said.

Mr Sogavare said: "Australia is gearing up for its general elections soon and we have a country to govern and implement long-overdue reforms to relieve the misfortunes of our own people. Our Attorney General has a lot of work to do for us and we will not be distracted by futile debate on an issue which we now regard as closed."

ENDS

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