MOSCOW, October 30 (RIA Novosti) — Lithuanian Minister of Internal Affairs Dailis Alfonsas Barakauskas announced his resignation on Thursday amid a corruption scandal over the ministry's activities.
The resignation, which, according to Barakauskas himself, is related to his poor health, was already accepted by the country's prime minister.
"On the basis of Government Law Article 10, paragraph 2 of the interior minister Dailis Alphonse Barakauskas today [Thursday] tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Algirdas on the grounds of a deterioration of his health status. The Prime Minister accepted the resignation," a statement on the Ministry's official web page said.
The resignation comes as the country's Special Investigation Service is looking into possible allegations of corruption in public procurement contracts at the Interior Ministry. A former vice minister of the interior and a former adviser to Barakauskas were previously detained as suspects in the case and questioned on account of $ 12,000 bribery. The two were released earlier on Thursday after spending two days in custody.
