Laisenia Qarase faces travel ban

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Fiji's ousted prime minister, Laisenia Qarase, may be barred from travelling overseas because of "inciteful" anti-government comments he made during a trip to Australia.

Qarase was removed from the top job in a December 2006 and charged with abuse of office by the newly-installed military regime, which put him under house arrest.

The deposed leader has been permitted to leave the country once since, to visit family in Brisbane in March.

But now Fiji's anti-corruption agency is blocking a second bid to go overseas, claiming he used the last trip for political gain.

"The accused had travelled overseas and got involved in political activities and made inciteful statements in front of journalists from Australia which was widely televised in the Australian Broadcasting (Corporation)," prosecutor Aca Rayawa said.

The agency claimed the fact Qarase had told Australian media he was being threatened in Fiji was reason enough for him to be banned from overseas travel.

"The welfare of the community needs to be protected," the agency said in a statement.

"The activities of the accused on his last travel to Australia caused a lot of uncertainty and instability in the country."

Qarase's lawyer told the court his client wanted to travel to rallies and fund-raise to pay his legal bills, banking up after two years of fighting his charges.

The judge reserved his decision until next week.

Qarase has been campaigning for the return of democracy to the island nation since his government was toppled by military leader Frank Bainimarama.

The country was suspended from the 16-member Pacific Islands Forum in May after Bainimarama set a belated 2014 election date.

The crackdown on Qarase is in line was harsh media and public censorship introduced in April that requires no one speak out against the regime.

Media outlets have had coverage vetted by government officials and several conference speakers have been barred from presenting for fear they will air pro-democracy views.

- AAP