Israel's finance minister, Avraham Hirchson, who is on a three-month leave of absence because of a police investigation for embezzlement, has formally resigned.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that Mr Hirchson decided to resign from government despite his innocence.
Mr Olmert, who had been acting as finance minister during Hirchson's leave, is now expected to present the government with a new candidate for the post.
Mr Hirchson, of Olmert's centrist Kadima party, has been questioned many times by police over suspicions of involvement in aggravated robbery and fraud, embezzlement, obstruction of justice and conspiring to commit a crime.
He denies the allegations.
He is one of a number of Israeli officials facing corruption charges.
