Solomon Islands' Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare's office in the nation's capital of Honiara was raided Friday by Solomon Islands police and members of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI).

Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio quoted a witness as saying that the police, who carried a search warrant, confiscated a fax machine from Sogavare's office.

The raid was conducted at a time when Sogavare is in Fiji to attend the forthcoming regional Pacific Islands Forum summit meeting.

But Solomons Finance Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo was there at the time.

A formal complaint is expected to be lodged by the Solomons government.

It was reported that an investigation is underway to find how Australian fugitive Julian Moti was smuggled into the Pacific island country.

Moti was appointed as Solomons attorney-general on Sept. 21 and was arrested in Papua New Guinea (PNG) at the end of September at the request of the Australian government, who is seeking to extradite Moti to face child sex charges.

Moti later jumped bail and had been taking political refuge in the Solomon Islands High Commission in PNG before he was flown to the Solomon Islands on board a PNG military plane last week.

Moti's case is now the focus of the strained relations between the Solomons and Australia which is sparked by the expulsion of Australian high commissioner last month.

Canberra is not happy with the appointment of Moti, a personal friend of Sogavare who is seen to have an anti-Australian influence on the prime minister.

But Australia has denied its pursuit of Moti is politically motivated.

Source: Xinhua