Sri Lanka Foreign Minister steps down over corruption allegations

Colombo: Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake on Thursday stepped down over corruption allegations in a bond scam, claiming that he was not involved in any sort of irregularities.

Making a statement in Parliament, Karunanayake said all the allegations leveled against him were "baseless" and he had resigned to protect the image of his government, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported.

"I have never done anything wrong, and I resign with pride to create a new political culture in Sri Lanka and ensure good governance."

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Karunanayake's name had surfaced in a controversial Central Bank bond scam which is being investigated. He said he had no connection with the incident in question and time would prove his honesty.

"Everyone knows about my wealth. People from my party and others have visited me in my house. They knew I do not use my wealth for politics," he said.

Karunanayake resigned ahead of a no-confidence vote requested by a group of opposition legislators.