Lithuanian minister of health to resigns after admitting bribery

Lithuania's minister of health Rimante Salaseviciute said on Friday she will submit her resignation request due to involvement in a bribery case.

"I am writing a resignation request," she said in an interview with Lithuanian broadcaster LRT. Salaseviciute added she would submit the request on Monday.

The departing minister became mired in the center of legal affairs earlier this week after publicly admitting she bribed a doctor a few years ago.

On Friday, both Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite and Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius suggested Salaseviciute should resign.

"Persons who seek high offices in the country or holding these offices, must have an irreproachable reputation and serve as a professional example to the society," Butkevicius said in a statement.

"Therefore, I will accept Salaseviciute's resignation," he added in the statement.

Grybauskaite said the situation was "very uncomfortable".

"I believe, in this situation the minister must depart. I don't see political possibility(for her) to stay in office," Grybauskaite told reporters.

The minister paid a visit to Lithuania's Special Investigation Service (STT) on Friday and was questioned due to the bribery. STT announced later it would not initiate pre-trial investigation regarding the case.

Salaseviciute has been serving as a minister of health since 2014. Enditem

Source: XINHUA