MOSCOW
Moldovan Prime Minister Chiril Gaburici has announced Friday his resignation after being accused of faking his education credentials.
Prosecutors had announced earlier in the week that they were investigating the authenticity of his university degree.
"I'm sorry the claims about my diploma have been used as a means to political games," Gaburici said at a press conference Friday in the capital of Moldova, Chisinau.
"I hope, after my resignation the allegations are off the agenda and society can focus on real problems," he added.
Previously, Gaburici had called for the resignation of the heads of the prosecutor's office and the country’s central bank for not acting effectively in fighting against corruption, after it was revealed that $1 billion had disappeared from three Moldovan banks. This represents about an eighth of the country's GDP ($7.9 billion in 2013, according to the World Bank).
The head of pro-EU government, Chiril Gaburici, 38, became prime minister of Moldova in February.
Moldova, a former Soviet republic that is Europe's poorest country, signed an association agreement with the EU last summer. But Russian President Vladimir Putin has pressured Moldova to postpone implementation of the free trade portion of the agreement.
