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photo: 123 RF
Papua New Guinea’s influential oil minister Jimmy Maladina has been charged with assault over an alleged “family dispute” in Australia, court documents show.
A 31-year-old woman was attacked by a 58-year-old man she knew in Sydney early Saturday morning, police said.
Maladina will appear in court on July 11, and has been granted conditional bail until then.
He said in a statement that he was “aware of recent media reports” and “is cooperating with authorities to resolve this matter.”
“I understand the seriousness of this matter and the concerns it raises,” Maladina said.
“As a public servant, I hold myself to very high standards of conduct, both personally and professionally.
“I want to be clear that violence of any kind is unacceptable and I am committed to handling this situation with integrity and transparency.”
Police said the woman who was allegedly attacked suffered injuries to her face.
Maladina became PNG’s petroleum minister earlier this year and a key adviser to President James Marape.
He is deeply involved in projects to commercialize the country’s lucrative natural gas resources.
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