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.
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, 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. Brown's spokesman said "the minister is being suspended over the alleged benefit of subsidised rent."
Brown has asked the independent adviser on ministerial interests Sir Philip Mawer to investigate whether Malik's alleged benefit of a subsidised rent breached the ministerial
code. Brown's spokesman said: "There have been accusations made in the past 24 hours against Shahid Malik, in particular that he received preferential rent on his main residence.
The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that Malik had claimed 66,827 pounds on his London home over three years, while paying less than 100 pounds a week on a house in his constituency he designated his main residence.
The prime minster's spokesman underlined that the alleged potential financial benefit of the minister "could represent a breach of the ministerial code".
"Because that allegation would represent a potential financial beneift and that potential and alleged financial benefit was not declared as part of his ministerial declaration, this could represent a breach of the ministerial code," he said.
"In line with the procedures of the ministerial code, the matter has been referred to the independent adviser on ministers' interests," the spokesman stressed.
He said pending the outcome of that probe into the expenses row, Malik will be step down as a minister, though the Pakistani-origin minister is not being replaced.
"In the light of these accusations that have been made against Shahid Malik and the need for them to be properly investigated, the prime minister has asked the independent
adviser, Sir Philip Mawer, to establish the facts of the matter as a matter of urgency and advise accordingly," the official said.
"Pending the outcome of that investigation, Shahid Malik will be stepping down as a minister. He is not being replaced," he underlined.
