Manus Island residents may have taken the law into their own hands if local police had not pressed for the return of three Australian detention centre workers accused of sexual assault, island MP Ron Knight says.
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The Australian Immigration Department has strongly rejected claims it covered up the alleged attack.
The tensions threaten to disrupt operations at the detention centre, a key part of the government's controversial offshore processing program.
There have been reports that PNG police will arrest all managers at the detention centre following the incident, in which three Australian detention centre guards were allegedly found naked with a woman who claimed she had been drugged and sexually assaulted. The guards are now back in Australia.
They were employees of Wilson Security, which is contracted by the detention centre's operator, Transfield Services. The woman was a Papua New Guinean employee of the centre.
Manus Island MP Ron Knight said the Provincial Police Commissioner Alex N'Drasal briefed him on Wednesday and confirmed the threat to arrest the Australian detention centre managers.
"He is asking [Australian Immigration officials] to bring these people back on the next available flight so they can be investigated and charged if need be," Mr Knight said, adding the centre's officials had been "stalling".
"I believe [Mr N'Drasal] is fed up with playing around and has told them if those three are not flown back to Manus by Thursday he will charge the managers with obstruction of justice."
Mr Knight said the extended family of the alleged victim were "really angry about what has happened and maybe thinking of doing something nasty".
"[Detention centre staff] could be attacked, windscreens of cars could be smashed, people could be driving along … and someone could throw a rock through the window," he said.
"If it was my sister or my daughter or somebody related to me I wouldn't be standing around grumbling about it, I'd be doing something about it.
"That is exactly what's going to happen. If the law doesn't seem to be taking its course then someone will take the law into their own hands."
Mr Knight said the threat "shows the police are doing something about it and ... maybe things will settle down a bit."
He said the alleged sexual assault adds to an already tense environment on the island, amid concern by locals about imported Australian labour, wage disparity and environmental pollution from the centre.
The Department of Immigration and Border Protection, which was alerted to the incident in mid-July, said on Wednesday afternoon it would continue to co-operate with PNG police.
It has previously said no criminal allegations were made at the time it became aware of the incident, but the alleged behaviour was not considered appropriate and the male staff were stood down and returned to Australia, with agreement from PNG police.
However, PNG police this week expressed anger that the three workers were allowed to leave while the incident was being investigated.
On Wednesday the ABC reported PNG police had confirmed the attempted rape allegation and demanded the Australians be returned by Thursday.
Mr N'Drasal reportedly said the woman alleged the men tried to rape her, and that she was given pills and sexually assaulted.
He reportedly accused the managers of allowing the Australians to leave the country, which "prevented the course of justice".
Comment has been sought from Immigration Minister Peter Dutton and PNG police. On Wednesday morning the department "categorically" rejected assertions it was involved in a cover-up of the alleged sexual assault.
In a statement, the department said it was "surprised by public comments made by PNG police, in particular the implication that service provider staff were returned to Australia in order to avoid a possible investigation".
It said senior representatives of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary were briefed personally by departmental staff about removing the workers from the island.
The department said the PNG officials agreed with the action, noting there had been no referral from that country's Immigration and Citizenship Authority for an investigation.
"The implication that the Wilsons staff were removed to avoid prosecution, or removed without consultation with relevant PNG authorities, is simply wrong," the department said, adding it would assist PNG authorities "should there be a case to answer".
A spokesman for PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said he was awaiting a report into the allegations.
Wilson Security refused to comment, referring inquiries to the department.