SYDNEY, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- The Australian government has suspended the scheduled visit to Canberra by Papua New Guinea's prime minister and defense minister.
It was the latest move in the escalating row over Australia's attempted extradition of the suspended Solomon Islands Attorney General Julian Moti, wanted for alleged child sex offences. Moti flew to the Solomons from Port Moresby on a Papua New Guinea Defence Force plane to avoid extradition. He had been hiding in Papua New Guinea.
Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Downer told Channel 10, "It's important to the credibility of Papua New Guinea they they establish who gave the orders for the flight and from how far up the chain those orders came."
He says until this is established, Australia will suspend ministerial contact with PNG.
"In the meantime, I don't think it appropriate for the prime minister of Papua New Guinea to come to Australia and I don't think the defense minister should come later this month, as originally planned," Downer said.
