Colombian Finance Minister, Ricardo Bonilla, has resigned his appointment, following allegations of corruption in his ministry.
The Finance minister stepped down at the request of President Gustavo Petro after charges emerged that he overlooked the bribery of parliamentarians.
Bonilla, last week, was accused of knowing that lawmakers were being paid off from the public funds to support key reforms promised by Petro.
Bonilla, however, has pleaded not guilty to the allegation..
However, Petro said at a press conference on Wednesday that Bonilla would be replaced by his deputy, Diego Guevara.
Petro told reporters he had asked for Bonilla’s resignation “not because I believe he is guilty, but because they want to destroy him for his loyalty” to the president.
A sweeping corruption scandal has engulfed numerous top government officials, as well as MPs from both the ruling party and the opposition.
In July, the country’s intelligence chief, a close ally of President Petro, resigned after prosecutors accused him of overseeing the bribery of parliamentary leaders to speed up the passage of bills.
Petro came to power in 2022 with an ambitious agenda of social reforms.
AFP