Minister of Local Administration Abdul Kadir Hilal handed Saturday his resignation to President Ali Abdullah Saleh, being the second resigning minister in the new government over the last couple of months.

Before Hilal, the minister of Expatriate Affairs Saleh Sumai resigned but no details were given over the resignation.

The resignation of Hilal was triggered by police arrests of  some of the minister aides when he presided a governmental committee assigned to rebuild Sadaa,  after the decision of ending the war in the northern province.

Hilal was accused by the ruling party of working in favor of  fundamentalists, the Joint Meeting Parties JMP, and sometimes for anti-government movements in the southern provinces. He was lately even accused of supporting the Houthi rebels in Sadaa. 

Hilal Accuses other Officials

In the resignation, Hilal who is from the same tribe as President Saleh, Sanhan,  accused the chief of the intelligence system  and other investigators of lying to President Saleh and filing false indictments against him.

The intelligence authorities arrested three of those who were driving the car of head of  the Economic Corporation branch in Saada, in the province of Amran while accompanying the minister to Sana'a.

Media outlets said a report sent to President Saleh accused Hilal of supporting the Houthi rebels through sending them messages inside packages of sweets.

The committee which was presided by Hilal and included some military generals made remarkable success in containing the sedition in the north.

Sources close to Hilal said his loyalty and working over 24 years as a government officer could not exempt him from getting harmed,  and expected that Hilal will hold a press conference to elaborate on the matter soon.

On Saturday, Hilal presided over a meeting to consider the demands of the southern people and conducted a report accusing high-rank officials of taking lands illegally in southern provinces.

Head of the ruling party at the parliament Yasir Al-Awadhi froze his membership in the Supreme Committee of the party in solidarity with Hilal.