PNG military reveals controversial escape
“WE helped Julian Moti escaped from Papua New Guinea to Solomon Islands from the advice we got from Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and then Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare”.
Five years after the controversy surrounding the escape of former Attorney General Julian Moti from Papua New Guinea to Solomon Islands and the failed Commission of Inquiry into the secret flight to Solomon Islands by the PNG Government, one of the PNG military forces who helped Moti escaped shared his side of the story.
The member of the PNG military who wanted his name withheld because of the sensitivity of the issue shared his experience on how they (PNG military) helped Moti escape to the Solomon Islands to this reporter recently during a visit to Port Moresby.
“There were more than 10 of us including some top government officials from the PNG Government including Solomon Islands government officials.
“Before that night (October 10 2007) we flew over with Moti, we were briefed by the then PNG Prime Minister Michael Somare’s chief of staff Joseph Kalinoe and another top official Joseph Assaigo that there was a request by the Solomon Islands Government through to Waigani (Port Moresby) to fly Moti to the Western Province in Solomon Islands,” he said.
He said they were told by officials from the PNG Government that the Australian Federal Police (AFP) through the advice from the Australian government were also looking for Moti so they had to create a decoy to make it look like Moti was residing at the Solomon Islands High Commission office in Port Moresby.
“We picked up Moti from Crown Plaza and we transported him to the military airport base. The other group created a decoy from the Solomon Islands High Commission to keep away the AFP officers who were also looking for Moti that night. Our plan was successful and we managed to help Moti escape to his destination. More than 10 PNG military personnel’s including top PNG and Solomon Islands officials accompanied us during that flight including Moti himself”, the member of the military said.
He said that when they arrived at Munda airfield the Australian military forces were already there.
It was believed they got a tip off from Port Moresby.
Asked how he and his fellow comrades felt carrying out the operation he said “we were just following orders from our commanders which directly came from the top officials within the PNG and Solomon Islands governments”.
The secret flight to the Solomon Islands had been at the centre of the media spotlight from September 2006-2008 with a public outcry for an explanation by the Solomon Islands and PNG government’s involvement in the Motigate Saga.
The PNG Government declined to reveal names as to who in the PNG Defence Force or government had given the order to fly Moti out.
A PNG Defence Force Board of Inquiry into the escape has since recommended that Sir Michael Somare and a number of his advisers be charged with offences in relation to the escape, including breaching PNG's constitution.
Mr Somare has sought to suppress the Inquiry's report, challenging the Inquiry's standing in PNG's National Court.
To date nothing has surfaced from the Inquiry report with those responsible never charged.
Then Prime Minister Sogavare faced much criticism from Australia’s former Howard government for his refusal to allow the extradition of Moti.
Mr Sogavare and Sir Michael Somare stated that they considered that the Australian Government were politically persecuting Moti and that a new trial was uncalled for as the issue was "unconditionally concluded in Vanuatu in 1999" and the Australian government had failed to produce any new evidence to justify an extradition.
On 10 July 2007, the then-Prime Minister Sogavare appointed Moti as Attorney General of the Solomon Islands.
In December 2007, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Sogavare was toppled in a vote of no confidence.
Mr Sogavare's refusal to extradite Moti was the main cause of the Prime Minister's downfall.
On 27 December, Mr Moti was extradited to Australia and was arrested on arrival where he is currently challenging his case for the alleged child sex offences in relation to an incident alleged to have taken place in Vanuatu in 1997.
By DOUGLAS MARAU
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