A member of the island nation's Judicial and Legal Service Commission said the controversial Australian lawyer's commission had been revoked.
But no official confirmation has been made and Mr Howard said the situation was still uncertain.
He said it would be inappropriate for him to make any comment about Mr Moti's status.
"I think there is confusion but it's confusion within the jurisdiction of the Solomon Islands government," Mr Howard told ABC Radio.
"We have a very simple attitude in relation to Mr Moti, and that is that there are certain offences with which he's been charged and he should be brought to justice to answer those charges."
Mr Moti is believed to in the Solomon Islands High Commission in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, after evading PNG police who are seeking to take him into custody to await extradition proceedings.
The Australian government is seeking Moti's extradition to face alleged child sex offences involving a 13-year-old girl in Vanuatu in 1997.
Mr Howard said the charges were serious and Mr Moti should be brought to justice.
"He shouldn't be harboured in a high commission in another country. That is quite inappropriate and we'll continue to argue so," Mr Howard said.
"But clearly whether he's going to remain as the attorney-general in the government of the Solomon Islands is a matter for the government of the Solomon Islands. I don't speak for it and it would be inappropriate for me to be making declarations as to his status in the government of a foreign country."
Mr Howard said the government would continue to make diplomatic approaches to have Mr Moti face the charges laid against him.