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WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A Papua New Guinea government minister accused of domestic violence in Australia will resign while the case against him unfolds, the country’s prime minister says.
A 58-year-old man has been arrested and charged following a domestic dispute in Sydney, New South Wales police said in a statement on Saturday. The statement said a 31-year-old woman known to him suffered facial injuries after the argument.
Australian authorities have not named Petroleum Minister Jimmy Maladina as a defendant, but his identification has been widely reported in media in Papua New Guinea and Australia.
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape said in a written statement on Sunday that Maladina had “offered to resign” as petroleum minister “while he is dealing with his Australian court complaint.”
He added that Marape would appoint an interim minister. He did not confirm any details about the arrests or the alleged attacks.
Maladina is due to appear in court on Thursday on a charge of assault occasioning bodily harm. He is currently free on bail, police said.
He has not yet responded to a request for comment from The Associated Press. In a statement carried by Papua New Guinea media, Maladina said he was aware of reports of his arrest and was “cooperating fully with the authorities.” He did not say whether he would defend the charge.
On Tuesday, PNG opposition leader Douglas Tomurisa urged the prime minister to remove Maladina or simply ask him to resign, rather than temporarily sideline him.
“While Maladina will not be carrying out her ministerial duties, she will continue to receive her salary regardless,” Tomurisa said in a written statement.
Maladina, a former lawyer and member of Marape’s Pangu party, became a legislator in 2022 and was appointed minister in January. Marape ordered him to strengthen efforts by developing countries to reap benefits from natural gas resources.
He has been a key ally of Marape, who faced political turmoil in May when 18 members of Marape’s party defected to the parliamentary opposition in an attempt to force a no-confidence vote in the prime minister.
The attempt to hold the vote was deemed illegal. Parliament is due to meet again in September.
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