Shahid Malik, the Pakistani-origin Justice Minister was on Friday forced to quit the Gordon Brown Cabinet pending the outcome of an inquiry into his parliamentary expenses claims.
Mr. Malik, the first Muslim minister in UK government, is the first government member to be forced to quit over the expenses row, which has rocked all three main parties over the last week.
His decision to step down came just two hours after the Justice Minister stunned Westminster with a strong defence of his 66,000 pounds claims.
He dismissed revelations that he splurged taxpayers' money on a home cinema and massage chair as a "non story".
In a TV interview, Mr. Malik said he could "sleep easy" after "legitimate" spending on a 2,100 pounds TV and other luxuries.
But barely two hours later, Downing Street announced the first major scalp of the expenses scandal.
Mr. Brown's spokesman told PTI "the minister is being suspended over the alleged benefit of subsidised rent."
Mr. Brown has asked the independent adviser on ministerial interests Sir Philip Mawer to investigate whether Mr. Malik's alleged benefit of a subsidised rent breached the ministerial code.
Mr. Brown's spokesman said: "There have been accusations made in the past 24 hours against Shahid Mr. Malik, in particular that he received preferential rent on his main residence.
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