The Nauruan president has stopped by Parliament House for a brief unannounced meeting amid media reports of alleged links between security contracts offered to an Australian bikie gang and his Pacific island government.
The president, David Adeang, was spotted by ABC cameras with a small entourage heading into Capital Hill on Tuesday afternoon to meet the home affairs minister, Tony Burke.
In a post on social media, Burke said the meeting was “productive” and that ties between the two countries were “critical on a range of issues”.
Adeang also met the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, on Monday evening, at a reception in Parliament House. The Nauruan president was in Canberra with other Pacific representatives for a leadership program hosted by the Pacific Security College.
Wong confirmed the two met separately at the event to discuss “recent media reports”.
Adeang’s visit to the national capital on Remembrance Day comes as Nauru received its fourth member from the NZYQ cohort as part of a $2.5bn deal over 30 years.
Guardian Australia understands the fourth man, a South Sudanese national, joined the three other men in temporary accommodation set up within a regional processing centre.
The man was flown from Yongah Hill immigration centre outside Perth to Nauru last week.
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Australia and Nauru signed a $2.5bn deal in August for the tiny Pacific island to accept members of the 350-odd group of NZYQ-affected people.
The secretive dealings with Nauru have been heavily criticised due to a lack of transparency, and concerns over a history of corrupt and overvalued deals.
Some of the NZYQ cohort have served jail terms for violent crimes, including murder, but others have never been convicted of a crime, or have historical, minor convictions for non-violent offences such as cannabis use.
Some have been refused a visa but cannot be deported because they are refugees or stateless. Many have lived in Australia for years, even decades, and have Australian citizen children and other family members.
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The Nine newspapers revealed further alleged ties between the Nauruan government and bikie gangs this week, with the Greens senator, David Shoebridge, saying he will refer the matter to the National Anti-Corruption Commission.
The media reports have centred around a labour hire business allegedly subcontracted by Nauruan authorities to provide temporary staff. The reports allege the business is being run by the Finks bikie gang.
The shadow home affairs minister, Jonathon Duniam, questioned why the government’s meetings with Adeang in Canberra had been kept under wraps.
“It is bizarre to have a head of state from one of our closest neighbours visit without any prior notice or proper diplomatic protocol,” Duniam said.
Guardian Australia also contacted the prime minister’s office.
