New Zealand police say they will arrest Cook Islands MP Albert Nicholas at the airport if he comes back here.
The former Cook Islands police minister and sitting MP has a warrant out for his arrest after he failed to appear at the Manukau District Court last month.
The 47-year-old had earlier pleaded not guilty to unlawfully taking a rental vehicle but didn't show up to his next court appearance.
This week he was sworn in as an MP for the governing Cook Islands Party, which holds a slim majority.
In a statement, a New Zealand police spokesperson says the agency will not be seeking extradition. However, "should this individual return to New Zealand, he would be arrested at the airport", the spokesperson said.
Nicholas was stripped of his police ministerial portfolio after he went missing in action in Auckland last year.
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