Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare - who recently appointed Mr Moti to the position of attorney-general - said there was "a lot of funny business going on here".

Mr Moti, a Fijian-born Australian, was arrested in Papua New Guinea on Friday and released on bail. He failed to make his court appearance on Saturday.

But Solomons PM Manesseh Sogavare - who came to power after riots in April - has accused Australia of a "serious violation of the sovereignty of the Solomon Islands".

Canberra wants the Honiara government to cancel an investigation into the riots amid fears it will be used to exonerate two pro-Sogavare lawmakers.

Australia - a major donor to the Solomons - has been deploying security forces to the country since 2003, when it was invited there by the government to restore order after the country came close to collapse.

Canberra provided extra troops and police when rioting broke out in the capital Honiara following the election of a prime minister who had been linked to corruption allegations.

Australia has been urging its citizens in the country to "exercise a high degree of caution" with tensions high ahead of a possible no-confidence vote on Mr Sogavare's government, due to be held on Friday.

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