Fiji did not allow dual citizenship until 2009. Even if Prakash had automatically acquired Fijian citizenship through his father when he was born in Melbourne in 1991,he would have lost it when he became Australian,Mr Vuniwaqa said.

Under Australian citizenship law,Prakash would have become an Australian at birth,unless neither of his parents was a citizen nor a permanent resident,in which case he would have become Australian after 10 years.

“He is not a dual citizen. He has not applied for it,” Mr Vuniwaqa said.

Mr Dutton said last week the government had legal advice that Mr Prakash was a Fijian national,though he has declined to release it.

A spokeswoman for Mr Dutton said yesterday that the government “does not intend to provide a running commentary on this matter”.

“The Minister has spoken at length as to why Mr Prakash is no longer an Australian citizen,” she said.

Mr Vuniwaqa said he had not been consulted by any Australian official.

“I was not even approached by any kind of Australian government official,not by text or SMS message,or email or telephone.

“Nobody goes to my staff except through me.”

Asked whether,to the best of his knowledge,the Australian government checked with any branch of the Fijian government,he said:“No.”

Richard Naidu,a prominent Fiji lawyer and partner at Munro Leys law firm in Suva,looked over the case and concluded that if Prakash became an Australian at birth and had never applied for Fijian citizenship,“it is almost certain that he is not a Fiji citizen now”.

He said that if Prakash automatically became Fijian under the 1990 constitution,he would have immediately lost it when he became Australian.

He shared the view that none of the subsequent laws in Fiji would have changed this,unless Prakash had registered.

“If no application was made,Prakash did not become a Fiji citizen,” he said.