COLOMBO - Ravi Karunanayake resigned on Thursday on live television after revelations that he had financial dealings with a businessman who is being investigated by a presidential commission on questionable treasury bond dealings.
Opposition members have tabled a no-confidence motion, claiming the minister should be removed for conflict of interest.
Before resigning, Karunanayake denied the allegations in a statement to Parliament, but said he was stepping down to protect the government which came into power in 2015 after vowing to fight corruption in the previous regime.
He will remain in parliament has an ordinary member.
His successor has not been named so far.