Fiji's military believes it can force a controversial senior army officer to return home to face charges relating to his alleged involvement in the November 2000 army mutiny.
The military reportedly wants to charge Lieutenant Colonel Filipo Tarakinikini either with desertion, or being absent without official leave.
The controversial officer is on secondment, working for the United Nations in Jerusalem, but is currently on holiday in Hawaii.
A military spokesman in Fiji, Captain Neumi Leweni, says the organisation will approach the police in New York and Fijii officials there in a bid to bring him home.
"We have avenues in which we can seek to be able to get him to Fiji, that's our Fiji Consulate in New York and all the other people that should be able to help us to get him over."
Captain Leweni says the Lieutenant Colonel's still in the ranks of the military as a regular officer. He says like any soldier who deserts or goes absent without leave, the military has the power to arrest him, lock him up and let military law take its course.
Meanwhile the Lieutenant Colonel's lawyer says the military has nothing new on his client and they cannot force him to come home.
Sam Matawalu says the military is fishing for evidence and they cannot extradite him without laying charges.
He says his client has no plans to return to Fiji and he doubts the military can force him to.
You don't just come from a tiny island in the Pacific, march into United Nations headquarters and get somebody. You've got to go through a whole spectrum of procedures. Then even if you are correct militarily, there is the political aspect, which then bec omes the interest of the government.
Mr Matawalu says the military's assertion that it has the power to do so is legally questionable.
He says he has asked the commander in chief of the military, President Iloilo, to defer making a decision on his client's attempted rersignation until after a proposed commission of inquiry has investigated Commodore Bainimarama.
Meanwhile the Lieutenant Colonel's lawyer says the military has nothing new on his client and they cannot force him to come home.
Sam Matawalu says the military is fishing for evidence and they cannot extradite him without laying charges.
He says his client has no plans to return to Fiji and he doubts the military can force him to.
You don't just come from a tiny island in the Pacific, march into United Nations headquarters and get somebody. You've got to go through a whole spectrum of procedures. Then even if you are correct militarily, there is the political aspect, which then bec omes the interest of the government.
Mr Matawalu says the military's assertion that it has the power to do so is legally questionable.
He says he has asked the commander in chief of the military, President Iloilo, to defer making a decision on his client's attempted rersignation until after a proposed commission of inquiry has investigated Commodore Bainimarama.
