The Nauruan contracts are set to be referred to the national anti-corruption watchdog after a senior department whistleblower alleged Australian taxpayers paid millions of dollars for nonexistent or unnecessary offshore asylum seeker services as part of a system that “enabled” corruption by Nauruan politicians and Australian companies.
A former Australian soldier recruited to support the controversial government deportation plan has also demanded answers after discovering a bikie gang had infiltrated the operation.
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The Department of Home Affairs wrote to Oisin Donohoe on Monday after he went public with his concerns on the weekend, after he first wrote to them in August, insisting the department had no responsibility for what happens in Nauru.
“Contracts that Nauru engage in are a matter for the Government of Nauru”, operational policy director Alex Yang said in a letter to Donohoe seen by this masthead.
“The Department of Home Affairs has no direct or subcontracting arrangement with Nauru Community Safety. Nauru Community Safety is not involved in any way with regional processing activities on Nauru.”
Transparency International Australia has called for the National Anti-Corruption Commission to urgently investigate the allegations.
Chief executive Clancy Moore said that “taxpayer funds lining the pockets of companies owned by bikie gangs to provided security services, and millions of dollars on insurance payments for fast cars, art and a luxury yacht owned by government contractors are just some of red flags that need to be examined”.
“The fact that President Adeang is visiting Australia two days after these allegations were raised in the media puts further fuel on the fire and stresses the need for accountability.”
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, when asked about the corruption claims on Monday, said the relevant minister would respond but added “I note that those issues, as I read them, come from a period before we were in government”.
Duniam said the secret meeting raised questions over the 30-year, multi-billion dollar agreement with Nauru to accept the convicted criminals who had to be released from detention following a landmark 2023 High Court ruling, but who could not be deported to their country of origin.