A Papua New Guinean security guard who worked at the Manus Island detention centre was allegedly murdered over the weekend and another had his hand chopped off in a machete attack, police say.
The deceased man was beaten and drowned and his body discovered about 11pm on Friday night, Manus Island MP Ron Knight said.
Manus Island provincial police commander Alex N’Drasal said the victim was a 25-year-old employee of Wilson Security.
He said police had arrested two suspects and were searching for three more. Those involved were under the influence of a local home brew drink, he said.
“[The victim] was thrown into a river,” N’Drasal said.
N’Drasal said in a separate incident early on Saturday morning, another detention centre worker, who had his uniform on at the time, had his hand cut off in a machete attack.
N’Drasal said he did not know who the man’s employer was. The man was receiving treatment in hospital. “His hand is in the morgue,” N’Drasal said.
Knight told Guardian Australia he did not think the incidents were connected to each other or to their employment at the detention centre. He said the guard was killed in Lorengau town, approximately 30km from his place of work at the Australian-run detention centre.
Knight blamed the violence on an increase in illicit homemade alcohol on the island since a government ban on liquor about a year ago.
“Early this morning they brought another guy from the north coast of Manus who’d been axed to death. Also on the same night the murder happened there were some arson attacks between Lorengau and the regional processing centre,” Knight said.
“Our law and order rate went up 130% or something in two days.”
“It’s very very unusual for our small province … I think you’ll find most of it is associated with this illegal homebrew they are drinking.”
A Department of Immigration and Border Protection spokesperson says the matter is for the Papua New Guinea police force.
“However, the department is aware of the death of a locally engaged subcontractor in the Manus community over the weekend and understands the PNG police are investigating the circumstances.”
“The department has not been notified of any allegation of a sexual assault and has no information about a regional processing centre worker’s hand being severed.”
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young called for a full explanation from the federal government.
“If there is any truth to these allegations, the government must explain what they are doing to make staff and refugees safe,” said Hanson-Young in a statement.
“The Australian government must front up and tell the public what is going on. The private contractors, Wilson Security and Transfield Services, also need to be clear about what they know.”
Comment has been sought from Transfield and Wilson Security.