Malaysian government wants Woo’s passport

The Malaysian embassy is now going after the passport of businessman Peter Ling Koh Woo after he was deported on July 2 by PNG Immigration.

This occurred while his passport was still in the custody of the District Court registry.

The embassy filed a notice of motion before the Waigani District Court on Aug 12 asking the court to hand the passport over.

The matter came before the court on Tuesday however, could not proceed as Woo’s lawyers were not in court. It was deferred to another date next week.

“The Malaysian embassy was never interested in his case and now that they want his passport, it’s something the court does not understand,” Magistrate Bidar said when he adjourned the motion yesterday.

On July 20, the Waigani Committal Court issued an order for the return of Woo’s passport to his lawyers from the Young and Williams law firm. The passport was kept by the court as part of his bail condition while he faces criminal allegations 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 them to hand over the passport. Reasons for his deportation remain unclear.   

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.   

Woo was deported out of jurisdiction whilst 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.

Arrested in Port Moresby in February, he was 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 use, through 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 courthouse after his case on June 30.)

Author: 
Sally Pokiton