AMEENAH GURIB-FAKIM, Mauritius’ first female head of state, resigned over credit card fraud allegations and will leave office March 23.

The president of the Indian Ocean nation quit in the wake of a shopping expense scandal that led to a relationship breakdown with the prime minister.

Her lawyer Yousouf Mohamed told reporters Saturday she submitted her resignation “in the supreme interest of the country and that of the Mauritian population.”

“She does not want to see the population and economy suffer,” Mohamed said.

The allegations against Gurib-Fakim, who is also a renowned biologist, stem from her joining Planet Earth Institute (PEI) in 2015 to further develop the scientific field in Africa. In 2016, she received a credit card from PEI to pay for work-related travel and other expenses related to the organization.

Gurib-Fakim, 58, was accused of buying jewelry and clothing, spending US$26,000 on the credit card for items not related to her work for PEI. She claims use of the card was accidental, saying she got the card mixed up with a personal credit card issued from the same bank.

(SD-Agencies)