Manus Island

Speaking to PACNEWS in Dakar where he is attending the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Council of Ministers, Pato said his ministry will implement steps necessary to comply with the court ruling.

Pato says the processing centre houses 900 plus asylum seekers under the re-settlement arrangement executed between PNG Government and the Australian Government.

“This week the Court has ruled that those arrangements are unconstitutional and clearly we have a duty to comply with the decision of the court.  

The three, who worked for a security contractor at the asylum seeker processing centre on PNG's Manus Island, are accused of raping another employee at the Australian-run centre.

Shortly after the alleged rape in July, the three were flown out of the country.

PNG police efforts to have the three extradited have so far been unsuccessful.

PNG's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said the three guards must be returned to be tried under the law in PNG, where rape convictions carry the death sentence.