Papua New Guinea (PNG)'s Prime Minister Michael Somare on Wednesday said he would recall senior diplomat from Australia for consultation on the issue of suspended Solomon Islands attorney-general Julian Moti.

Somare, who is here to attend the Pacific Islands Forum meeting, accused Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer of acting like a "colonialist" in the South Pacific.

Somare was referring to Downer's announcement during an TV interview to suspend ministerial contacts with PNG earlier this month, demanding PNG explain how Moti could escape from the country to the Solomon Islands.

Somare said PNG's envoy in Canberra is being recalled to brief him on the issue.

"I just want to know the reasons for the prime minister of the sovereign state of Papua New Guinea being told through the press, and not diplomatic channels," Somare told New Zealand's National Radio.

"It was an outburst of his foreign minister who still thinks that PNG's a territory," he added.

He said Downer was "acting like a ... colonialist."

Somare said the investigation into the PNG military flight that took Moti to the Solomons had yielded results.

"We've identified, as of yesterday, and we've suspended four officers. I'm waiting for a full report to be given to me so that I know exactly what transpired," he said.

He said that those responsible for the flight would be held to account, and possibly sacked from the public service.

Moti, an Australian lawyer who was appointed as Solomons attorney-general on Sept. 21, 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 involving a 13-year-old girl in Vanuatu in 1997.

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 a fortnight ago.

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 and 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