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| Brazil Labour Minister Carlos Lupi is latest to resign | Brazil Labour Minister Carlos Lupi is latest to resign |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| Brazil's Labour Minister, Carlos Lupi, has handed in his resignation to President Dilma Rousseff. | Brazil's Labour Minister, Carlos Lupi, has handed in his resignation to President Dilma Rousseff. |
| He is the seventh minister to resign since President Rousseff took office in January. Six of them have departed amid scandals over alleged corruption. | |
| Most of them had been members of the previous government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. | Most of them had been members of the previous government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. |
| In a statement, Mr Lupi said he had been subject to personal and political persecution by the media. | In a statement, Mr Lupi said he had been subject to personal and political persecution by the media. |
| But he said he had a clear conscience and he would be proved innocent. | But he said he had a clear conscience and he would be proved innocent. |
| He was being investigated after a local magazine, Veja, reported in November that Mr Lupi and some of his aides allegedly had demanded kickbacks from charities and non-governmental organizations in exchange for funding from the ministry. | He was being investigated after a local magazine, Veja, reported in November that Mr Lupi and some of his aides allegedly had demanded kickbacks from charities and non-governmental organizations in exchange for funding from the ministry. |
| The Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper also reported that he was being investigated for allegedly receiving a salary as a federal congressional employee, while at the same time serving, and receiving a salary from, the state legislature of Rio de Janeiro. | The Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper also reported that he was being investigated for allegedly receiving a salary as a federal congressional employee, while at the same time serving, and receiving a salary from, the state legislature of Rio de Janeiro. |
| Receiving two government salaries is illegal under Brazilian law. | Receiving two government salaries is illegal under Brazilian law. |
| 'Tainted' | 'Tainted' |
| Some members of congress from Mr Lupi's own Brazilian Worker's Party (PDT) had requested a probe into the allegations. | Some members of congress from Mr Lupi's own Brazilian Worker's Party (PDT) had requested a probe into the allegations. |
| But pressure on Mr Lupi to resign increased dramatically on Wednesday after a presidential ethics committee recommended that he should be sacked for gross mismanagement. | But pressure on Mr Lupi to resign increased dramatically on Wednesday after a presidential ethics committee recommended that he should be sacked for gross mismanagement. |
| Opposition groups have previously said that the resignations under President Rousseff show that her government is tainted by corruption. | Opposition groups have previously said that the resignations under President Rousseff show that her government is tainted by corruption. |
| But the government insists corruption has always existed in Brazil - the difference now is that cases are being made public and action is being taken. | But the government insists corruption has always existed in Brazil - the difference now is that cases are being made public and action is being taken. |
| The resignations have strained Ms Rousseff's governing coalition, which is made up of more than a dozen parties. | The resignations have strained Ms Rousseff's governing coalition, which is made up of more than a dozen parties. |