The Australian Federal Police has refused a request from Papua New Guinea for an officer to help interview witnesses to the killing of asylum seeker Reza Barati on Manus Island in February.
PNG police said they needed the help because some witnesses to the violence at the immigration detention centre were reluctant to speak to local Manus Island investigators and had demanded instead to speak to Australians.
But the request last week for help had been declined, an AFP spokesman said.
''The AFP does not have any plans to provide any further support to [the Royal Papua New Guinean Constabulary] regarding this matter,'' the spokesman said.
''A request was made by the RPNGC to provide an AFP member as an independent person to an interview with a witness in this investigation. This request was declined due to the AFP having no operational jurisdiction in PNG, and suggested alternate options for the RPNGC to consider.''
Mr Barati, 23, from Iran, was killed by multiple blows to his head during violent confrontations in the centre, which was set up to process asylum-seekers trying to reach Australia by boat. A further 62 asylum-seekers were injured, including one shot in the buttocks.
The AFP has about 70 officers in various roles assisting PNG police. Last week, police sources in Port Moresby indicated they believed Australia would meet the request for help. A spokesman for the PNG police could not be reached for comment on Monday.
The AFP was asked why jurisdiction was an issue given an invitation had been extended, as well as what other options were proposed to PNG. The AFP had not replied by deadline on Monday.
Justice Minister Michael Keenan's office was asked whether the Abbott government had any involvement in the decision, but had not responded by deadline.
The AFP previously arranged for two forensic specialists to travel to Port Moresby to help with the autopsy on Mr Barati's body.
There had been mixed messages about the investigation in recent weeks. Manus Island provincial police commander Alex N'Drasal said two weeks ago he expected to make arrests within days.
But Mr N'Drasal was no longer speaking to the media. Since then, PNG police had claimed security company G4S, which until recently was managing the detention centre, was not fully co-operating with investigators, a claim the company vehemently denied.
A PNG police source said a ''major obstacle'' to finishing the investigation was the resistance of both G4S staff and asylum-seekers to speaking to local investigators. Both groups insisted on being interviewed by the AFP.
''The commanders recommended that two AFP officers … be sent to Manus … to speed up the investigations,'' the source said.
Last week PNG police were said to suspect two Australians employed by G4S were among those involved in Mr Barati's death.
