Rote Island: More than $US30,000 ($42,000) allegedly paid to people smugglers by Australian officials to return their boat to Indonesia will not be presented as evidence in the men's trial.

An Indonesian police investigation in June found six crew members had been paid between $US5000 and $US6000 to turn back 65 asylum seekers headed for New Zealand.

The crew of a boat of asylum seekers allegedly paid by Australian officials to turn back to Indonesia are facing people smuggling charges in court on Rote Island, West Timor. Credit:Amilia Rosa

The prosecution had wanted to present "alleged bribery money from the Australian government" in court as further evidence of people-smuggling, but Prosecutor Alexander Sele said the police had insisted the crew had not committed a crime when they accepted the payments from the Australian officials.