Committal Court: Return Woo’s passport to lawyer

The Waigani Committal Court has issued an order for the return of Malaysian Businessman, Peter Ling Koh Woo’s passport to his lawyer Greg Sheppard.

Woo’s passport has been with the Committal Court as part of his bail condition while he faces criminal charges at the court.

However, he was deported by Immigration on July 2 without his passport, two days after the Committal Court refused an application by Immigration asking the court to hand over the passport.

Woo was allegedly ordered by the chief migration officer to be deported from the country within seven days of the notice being served. His lawyer, Greg Sheppard, told the court in June that his client was never served the order.   

Magistrate Cosmas Bidar today said Woo was deported out of jurisdiction while he was facing criminal charges and the appropriate thing for the court to do was adjourn his case and return his passport to his lawyers.

Bidar said the passport is a property of the Malaysian government and it would be appropriate to return it to his lawyers to return to him.

Arrested in Port Moresby in February, Woo’s passport was confiscated by the court registry officers to ensure he does not leave the country until his case that is currently at the Committal Court is dealt with.

He was arrested and charged for false pretense, misappropriation and two counts of attempts to pervert justice.

It is alleged that while employed as a managing director of a company between Oct 11, 2012, and Oct 7, 2015, at the Waigani Village, he dishonestly applied to his own use, the use of his personal company Ever Green Limited an amount of K352,794.73.

It is also alleged that between the same period, by false pretense and with intent to defraud the company he worked for, provided a financial guarantee in his capacity as a managing director when he knew very well he had no authority to give such guarantee to his personal company.

Woo is also facing immigration charges at the Boroko District Court. He has not been appearing at the Boroko courthouse and is yet to be arraigned.

 

(Caption: Woo outside the court house after his case on June 30.)

 

 

Author: 
Sally Pokiton