ANKARA

Australian police arrested an influential minister of Papua New Guinea (PNG) on the charge of domestic assault offense, local media reported on Sunday.

The PNG's Minister for Petroleum Jimmy Maladina was arrested in Sydney near famed Bondi beach after police responded to a call by a woman on Saturday morning, Austrian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Police spoke to a 31-year-old woman with facial injuries, allegedly as a result of an altercation with a 58-year-old man known to her.

The man was arrested, and taken to the police station where he was charged with assault causing bodily harm.

The ABC quoted a statement of Maladina as saying that he was "fully cooperating with the authorities".

Maladina, a crucial player in the ongoing international negotiations over a lucrative natural gas project, was later granted conditional bail and is listed to face court on Thursday.