A judge at the centre of a voting controversy at the Miss Pacific Islands pageant is being held in the host country, Solomon Islands, while organisers complete an investigation into accusations of vote rigging.
Miss Pacific Islands head judge Jerry Brunt confirmed to the ABC he is "not allowed" to leave the country after attempting to fly out of its capital to his home country, Samoa, on Monday.
He said he was given "no reason" when he tried to leave and was now in discussions with his lawyers.
"I will contact you (the ABC) when I arrive home on safer soils," he said in a text message.
He is not detained but is staying in local accommodation.
The ABC has attempted to contact multiple sources in Solomon Islands government for clarification.
The incident has now evolved into a diplomatic furore, with the government of Samoa on Tuesday requesting "official information" from the Solomon Islands government "on the circumstances surrounding the stop order" preventing Mr Brunt from departing Honiara.
'False accusations'
The controversy stems back to the pageant's final night on Saturday, when internet forums began circulating unsubstantiated accusations of vote rigging at the pageant.
Miss Samoa, Litara Ieremia-Allan, was announced as the winner after an initial tie between her and Miss Tonga, Racheal Guttenbeil.
But Mr Brunt was later accused of favouring his fellow Samoan country woman in the deciding votes after grainy videos of the voting process and speculation began circulating online.
In an interview with local media outlet In-depth Solomons late on Monday, Mr Brunt, a lawyer and hotelier from Samoa, said "I've done nothing wrong".
"I hold the integrity of the entire Pacific Islands pageant show in high regard, and I feel saddened by these false accusations," he said.
"It's impossible for me to rig any scoresheets in front of thousands of eyes.
"Again, I really don't know where the conspiracy and allegations are coming from.
"God is my witness."
Miss Pacific Islands is the region's premier beauty pageant, with contestants from eight nations this year vying for the crown.
It is followed passionately by Pacific Islanders across the region, with the competition promoted as a celebration of Pacific culture and togetherness.
Contestants compete in a range of areas with a Pacific flavour, with a sarong section taking the place of the swimsuit category and a traditional wear category instead of evening gowns.
Thousands of Solomon Islanders crowded the streets of Honiara last week during a float parade on Friday before the official event on Saturday night.
But the voting controversy and spate of online trolling following the result — and during the competition — marred this year's pageant.
Despite repeated requests for clarification, the organisers have so far failed to address the controversy.
In a statement released on Tuesday morning, it said it would release a public statement "soon".
"Right now there has to be a series of meetings and reports to be finalised on findings in the last 48 hours before an announcement is done," it said.
"We sincerely apologise for the slow response to the public, which unfortunately cannot be avoided until all information is established by all parties involved."
It is not the first time the beauty pageant industry in the Pacific has been shrouded in controversy.
Last year's Miss Universe Fiji pageant made international headlines with accusations of racism, vote-rigging, conflicts of interest and "conspiracy theories".
The runner-up, Nadine Roberts, a self-styled "singer-dancer-model-brand ambassador and property manager," and originally from the Gold Coast, maintained she was the real winner of the pageant.
After months of speculation and continued self-promotion online, eventually, the original winner, Manshika Prasad, was declared the winner by the international Miss Universe competition and travelled to Mexico for the international event.
