Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah accepted the resignation of Sheikh Ali, who risked dismissal on a simple majority of 25 members of the 50-seat parliament in the July 9 vote, the official KUNA news agency said.

The emir also "accepted the resignation of Communications Minister and State Minister for National Assembly Affairs Sharida al-Meosherji," the news agency added.

Opposition MPs have accused Sheikh Ali of involvement in the multi-million dollar Kuwait Oil Tanker Company fraud case in which former oil minister Sheikh Ali Khalifa al-Sabah and four other top KOTC officials are accused of stealing more than 100 million dollars. They have denied any wrongdoing.

The minister had faced nine hours of questioning in the Kuwaiti parliament last Monday.

Islamist Meosherji has apparently resigned in protest to the questioning of Sheikh Ali in parliament, which was supported mainly by Islamist MPs, parliamentary sources said.