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BRASILIA: Brazil's Labour Minister Carlos Lupi on Sunday presented his resignation to President Dilma Rousseff, the sixth member of her government to step down amid corruption allegations.
"Given the political and personal persecution by the media with which I have had to deal for the past several months; and considering the release of the Ethics Committee findings, ... I decided to submit my resignation irrevocably," Lupi said in a statement.
Last week the Ethics Committee at the president's office recommended that Lupi resign.
"I depart with my conscience at ease, with my personal honesty intact, knowing that the truth will always win out," Lupi said in a statement.
Allegations against Lupi -- who has been at Labour Minister since 2007 -- include flying in an airplane belonging to a group that later obtained government contracts with his ministry.
Rousseff was compelled to launch an anti-corruption drive in July after several key members of her government were accused of corruption including her chief of staff Antonio Palocci, who was forced to resign in June.
Agriculture minister Wagner Rossi, transport minister Alfredo Nascimento and tourism minister Pedro Novais also were forced to step down amid allegations of graft and embezzlement.
Communist lawmaker Aldo Rebelo was named Brazil's new sports minister in October taking on the task of organizing the 2014 World Cup after his predecessor Orlando Silva resigned amid corruption allegations.
Rousseff, Brazil's first female president, took office in January following popular president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Like Lula she is a stalwart of the leftist Worker's Party (PT).
-AFP/ac
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