SYDNEY, July 11, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Papua New Guinea's influential petroleum minister will plead not guilty to assaulting a woman near Sydney's famed Bondi Beach, his Australian lawyer told a court on Thursday.

Jimmy Maladina, a crucial player in international negotiations over the country's natural resources, was charged with assaulting a 31-year-old woman on Saturday morning.

The 58-year-old has stood aside from the government while the court case plays out, saying he was "committed to handling this situation with integrity".

Defence lawyer Margaret Cunneen, one of Australia's best-known barristers, told a Sydney local court on Thursday that her client would plead not guilty.

Wearing a navy blue suit jacket, striped tie and pinstriped pants, Maladina was stoney faced as he sat through the brief hearing.

Police said they found a "31-year-old woman with facial injuries" after they were called to an address near Bondi, allegedly sustained in an "altercation" with Maladina.

Maladina, who has been released on bail, has been charged with "assault occasioning actual bodily harm".

"We will all have our day in court and I look forward to the facts of the matter being presented," he said in a statement following his arrest.

Papua New Guinea's vast untapped natural gas deposits have attracted considerable interest from foreign prospectors.

The case is scheduled to return to court next week.