A Papua New Guinean police commander has confirm soldiers fired shots directly into the Manus Island asylum seeker processing centre last month and charges could be laid this week.
An Amnesty International report analysing photos and footage of the incident also concludes shots were fired into buildings housing refugees.
Amnesty has called for a full and independent investigation of the Good Friday incident at the Australian-run immigration detention centre that was declared illegal by the PNG Supreme Court some 14 months ago.
Manus police commander chief inspector David Yapu told SBS World News such an investigation would not be necessary and his inquiry is conclusive.
“Initially we thought the only shots were fired in the air. When the investigation was conducted it was revealed that some of the shots were fired at the buildings,” Commander Yapu said.
“The bullets penetrated into the walls of the building at the Manus processing centre.”
Commander Yapu added that he did not know how many shots were fired during the incident.
“I think so far we have interviewed most of the witnesses. We have collected all of the material evidence, the statements plus the affidavits, the photographs and the CCTV footage,” he said.
“Hopefully by next week we should commence to deal with the perpetrators … and have them charged and appear in court.
He said the perpetrators are likely to face “multiple charges”, including firing shots at the centre, damaging property and assaulting police and immigration officers and detention centre service providers.
Amnesty said its verification of photos and footage of the incident contradicts initial claims made by Australian immigration officials and PNG police suggesting soldiers only fired bullets into the air.
While PNG police were still investigating, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton last month repeatedly alleged the incident was related to a five-year old boy being led into the detention by refugees and that local residents and soldiers feared for his safety.
Commander Yapu last month dismissed Mr Dutton’s claims, saying the boy was 10-years-old, had received food from the refugees, that there were no complaints from relatives and the two incidents were unrelated.
Amnesty argues the Australian government has failed to take responsibility for people’s lives and that Mr Dutton has sought to diminish the seriousness of the shooting.
“Instead of waiting for the results of an investigation, (Mr) Dutton has inflamed matters by making an irresponsible and unfounded claim about the shooting incident,” Amnesty’s Kate Schuetze said.
“For him then to try and connect (the incident involving the boy), weeks later, to drunken soldiers shooting at a refugee centre is reckless in the extreme and will put the lives of people there at even greater risk.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Immigration and Border Protection said: “This is a matter for Papua New Guinean authorities.
“The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary and the PNG Defence Force are conducting concurrent investigations into this incident.
“As such, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”
