Australian Nauru detention center guard confesses to perjury

A guard at the Australian run Nauru detention center has reportedly been caught confessing to perjury after falsely claiming he was assaulted by an asylum seeker.

The guard, reportedly from Australian security contractor Wilson Security, later repeated the false claim in court, Fairfax Media reported on Thursday.

The security guard was secretly recorded by a colleague saying he made up the allegations to prevent the asylum seeking from reaching Australia.

It is understood the asylum seeker -- believed to be an Iranian man -- was jailed for one month for the alleged assault.

Fairfax Media reported the asylum seeker had tried to commit suicide at least three times after being falsely accused.

Wilson security knew about the guard's potentially false claim, but refused to say if it shared this information with a Nauru court deciding the assault case. The asylum seeker was later found not guilty over the alleged assault.

Though it was a Wilson Security investigator who made the recording, the company said there's not enough evidence to make a finding against the guard.

The Australian run Nauru detention center has been surrounded by controversy following allegations of sexual misconduct by the security guards, the torture of detainees and spying on an Australian senator.

It has been reported detainees have also abused children at the Nauru detention center.

These allegations have either been played down or denied by Wilson Security officials.

The Australian senate is currently conducting an inquiry examining the allegations of widespread abuse.

Australian Minister for Immigration Peter Dutton told local media on Thursday the inquiry is a "dodgy kangaroo court," though he insisted he would not tolerate detention center staff breaking the law.

"If people have done the wrong thing, they should answer for that," Dutton said, adding any complaints should be made to Nauru police. Endi