Obscure company guarded the refugees for Australia

Australia's government is due to millions of contracts with an obscure security company in its controversial refugee camps on a Pacific island under pressure. The government are in much of a hurry, no other company has found. The Singapore-registered company Paladin Holdings, which had its headquarters so far, apparently, in a beach hut, has received Reports of 420 million Australian dollars (301 million Swiss francs) for security services in three refugee camps on the Papua new Guinea belonging to the island of Manus.

Australian media had reported last week, the company have little experience and little capital - but at the same time Connections to a high-ranking politician in Papua new Guinea. The newspaper "Australian Financial Review" reported that the company had to reach so far to have been in a cottage on Kangaroo Island off the South coast of Australia. After the first report you have sitting in your company but in an office in the capital city of Canberra laid.

Paladin was the only applicant

interior Minister Peter Dutton, whose Ministry is the refugee camp responsible, had said last week, for the procurement procedure, he had not been responsible. On Monday officials from his Ministry were questioned in a parliamentary hearing.

she acknowledged, to have the company in mid-2017 in the Wake of a restricted procurement procedure is obliged, in the case of the Paladin only made a bid. Interior Secretary Mike Pezzullo referred to a "urgent Situation".

The Supreme court in Papua new Guinea had declared the internment of refugees on Manus in August 2016 to be unconstitutional, and the closure of the camp until October 2017 arranged. Australia then established three new camps to house the refugees.

in mid-2017 would have been the papua-neuguine authorities, but all of a sudden out of the procedure is withdrawn, said the representative of the Ministry of interior. For the administration of the three camps quickly had to found a company.

Barely offers worked new Guinea due to criticism

The company Paladin was reported previously as a subcontractor in a refugee in Papua. Other companies such as the Spanish construction group Ferrovial submitted, therefore, no offer of more, because of the criticism of Australian refugee policy had become too large.

Australia is because of his tough policies to deter refugees for years in the criticism. The country brings all the refugees who want to come by boat to Australia, and will be taken up in camps on Manus and in the Pacific state of Nauru. The United Nations and human rights organisations criticize the conditions of life are regularly sharp .

in mid-may parliamentary elections will be held in Australia. The refugee policy is an important election issue. In polls, a victory of the opposition labor party. (nlu/sda)

Created: 18.02.2019, 15:21 PM