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Mauritius environment minister resigns over bribery allegations

Xinhua, March 24, 2016 Adjust font size:

Mauritius Environment Minister, Raj Dayal, resigned on Wednesday amid corruption allegations, which he however denies.

Businessman Patrick Soobhany alleged Dayal had asked him for a bribe for the approval of a housing project.

Soobhany filed a complaint at the Anti-Corruption Commission and provided an alleged recording of the minister demanding a bribe of about 30,000 U.S. dollars.

The recording was broadcast on a private radio station.

Soon afterwards, Prime Minister Sir Aneerood Jugnauth issued a statement calling for Dayal's resignation, with the anti-corruption body launching investigations.

Addressing the press in the capital Port Louis, Dayal denied the allegations, claiming he was "a victim of a plot aimed at tarnishing his reputation and destabilizing the government".

He said the ongoing investigations would "reveal the truth". Endit