Indonesian police provide photos of cash allegedly paid to people smugglers and urge journalists ‘to demand an answer from the Australian government’

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Indonesian police have provided photos of cash allegedly paid to people smugglers amid reports an Australian spy facilitated the payment.

General Endang Sunjaya, police chief of Nusa Tenggara Timur province, provided photos of the cash to Fairfax Media, which he said was given to six crew members by an Australian official.

An Australian spy aboard HMAS Wollongong dressed in civilian clothes facilitated the payment after the asylum seeker boat was deemed unsafe, the Australian newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Australian sailors transferred the 65 asylum seekers on board to two smaller boats and sent them back to Indonesia.

“We have given you the evidence. It’s now up to you and other organisations to demand an answer from the Australian government,” Endang told Fairfax Media.

Indonesian police say the alleged payment took place on Andika, near Greenhill Island in the Northern Territory.

Under questioning, each crew member had sworn under oath that they were paid $US5,000 ($A6,460) to return to Indonesia, the general added. Their accounts were corroborated by asylum seekers, he said.

Endang said the asylum seekers were sent on their way on the two boats with just a drum of fuel each before eventually hitting a reef near Landu island, in West Rote, where they were rescued by villagers.

He said the police investigation report had been handed to National Police headquarters in Jakarta.

The claims come as the Greens demand the government come clean on whether taxpayers’ money was paid to asylum seeker boat crew members.

People smuggler payment claims: Labor backs away from pursuit of Coalition Read more

The Senate has passed a motion calling on the government to produce, by 3pm AEST on Wednesday, documents relating to the alleged handing of more than $US30,000 to people smugglers in a bid to get boats to return to Indonesia.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest On Tuesday, footage emerged for the first time of a Sri Lankan man detailing allegations of payments. Link to video

Australia’s prime minister, Tony Abbott, said he was “absolutely confident” Australian agencies had acted within the law at all times, but would not comment on the specifics.

The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, said Labor governments never paid people smugglers to turn boats around, but refused to say whether the practice was used on land in Indonesia.

The Australian federal police is also considering whether the alleged payments warrant investigation.