PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) – One of two Trinidadian Cabinet ministers accused of accepting bribes connected to an oil exploration project resigned on Sunday.

Works Minister Franklin Khan maintained his innocence, but said he was stepping down until his name was cleared.

“I firmly maintain my innocence … and intend to work assiduously until my name is fully cleared of these baseless allegations,” Khan said.

Prime Minister Patrick Manning accepted Khan’s resignation, according to a government statement. Manning hinted at a Cabinet reshuffle in the coming days.

Khan and Energy Minister Eric Williams were accused in Parliament on April 27 of accepting bribes to give a local company a contract to work on a seismic survey being conducted by the Calgary-based Canadian company Terra Seis. Williams has also denied the charges.

The accusations came in a letter sent to Manning by a municipal councillor in his governing People’s National Movement, which was read in Parliament.

Dhansam Dhansook’s letter alleged that Williams had been threatening him and that he had received a death threat, prompting him to expose the corruption.

“Minister Williams told me that I was greedy and he also believed that I was sabotaging the project. I then reminded Minister Williams that I had already given him TT$75,000 (US$12,500) in bribes on the said project and that I will expose him, and he said ‘Expose Frankie (Kahn) too’,” according to a legislator who read from the letter.

Trinidad’s integrity commission is investigating the matter.

Williams denied receiving bribes and said Dhansook had threatened to destroy him after he terminated the businessman’s contract because of complaints that the seismic survey was being sabotaged.

He said he received reports that a group of expatriates working on the survey had fled the country after receiving death threats.

Williams said the “sabotage” ended after he spoke to Dhansook.