Wilson rejects Nauru torture claims

Wilson Security says allegations asylum seekers were being waterboarded at the detention centre on Nauru are "rejected outright".

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton Source: AAP

Wilson Security has denied allegations its staff tortured asylum seekers on Nauru.

Whistleblower Jon Nichols says asylum seekers have been subjected to waterboarding and "zipping", where they're tied to beds using cable ties before the bed is thrown in the air.

The former Wilson Security guard told a Senate inquiry on Thursday that colleagues had bragged to him about the events and that he'd seen on two or three occasions asylum seekers walking out of a tent wet and coughing up water.

But he admits he never personally witnessed the waterboarding or zipping.

Mr Nichols says he was regularly ordered to shred evidence during his two years at the centre, including incident reports from groups such as Save The Children.

He alleges Wilson repeatedly misled the inquiry into allegations of misconduct on Nauru, disputing its evidence that staff were trained to report any abuse to a whistleblower hotline, and that drug and alcohol testing of staff was conducted regularly.

Mr Nichols also claims seven employees were involved in spying on Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young during her 2013 visit to the island, claiming a colleague showed him iPhone footage of her walking into her hotel.

Wilson executive general manager John Rogers says the disturbing torture allegations are "rejected outright".

Asylum seekers have access to phones and the internet, and there would have been hundreds of people around the tent where the waterboarding was said to have occurred, he said.

There's also no running water in the tents.

"I can categorically confirm that there has never been a report, or even the slightest rumour, of activity of this nature," he said.

"I just cannot fathom how an allegation like this could have any credibility whatsoever."

Mr Rogers said Mr Nichols has made a claim for a workplace injury and is also claiming constructive dismissal by Wilson.

He said Wilson stood by its original evidence, including that spying on Senator Hanson-Young was conducted by a "misguided" supervisor, confirmed by a sworn affidavit from the supervisor involved.

Wilson security contract manager Brett McDonald said incident reports sent to the shredder would have been only drafts or copies.

Mr Rogers also told the inquiry an employee who allegedly confessed to falsely accusing an asylum seeker of assault in a Nauru court has been suspended with pay.

He said Wilson was conducting a review of its original investigation, but could not confirm when the company told Nauru authorities the allegations against the asylum seeker may have been false, insisting the company was only notified in December last year, after the court case had concluded.

He confirmed a secret recording of the guard admitting he made up the allegation so the asylum seeker would never make it to Australia was obtained by Wilson, but couldn't legally be used in the internal investigation of the case, meaning the company couldn't dismiss him.

Immigration department official Neil Skill told the hearing the department had referred the matter for internal investigation and has asked detention centre operator Transfield why it wasn't told of the incident earlier.

The committee is due to release its report on August 31.


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Source: AAP


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