Prague - Czech Deputy Prime Minister Jiri Cunek resigned from his government posts Wednesday as he had promised last week. Cunek said on November 1 that he would resign as vice premier and minister for regional development because the chief state attorney wants to reopen an investigation into allegations that he had accepted a bribe of 500,000 koruny (26,965 dollars) in 2002.
He however remains the leader of the junior ruling Christian Democrats and a senator.
Cunek's year-long career in national politics has been marred by scandals.
His fall was also sparked by a Czech Television report, according to which Cunek deposited 3.5 million koruny in three banks in 1998, at a time when his family was receiving various welfare benefits.
Cunek, who built his political career on fighting welfare system abuse, did not break the law by drawing the benefits, but his financial dealings have been seen by fellow politicians and commentators as unethical and unjustifiable.
On Tuesday evening Cunek explained to his party that his relatives lent him some of the deposited money, but journalists still pointed out several discrepancies in his account.
Cunek entered the top echelons of power a year ago after he had, as a mayor of a small town of Vsetin, evicted dozens of Roma families from a rundown downtown building to new shipping-container housing on town's edge.
He made more headlines by suggesting in an online chat with tabloid readers that the only way one could get state aid is by being suntanned, lighting fires and acting disorderly in public squares.
Roma activists sent Cunek a farewell present on Tuesday consisting of sunbathing products and a voucher to a sun-tanning studio and wished him "a beautiful suntan for the rest of the year," CTK news agency reported.
The Christian Democrats have yet to find a new regional development minister who oversees administration of EU funds.
