International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn announced his resignation on Thursday following allegations that he attempted to rape a hotel maid, the IMF said on its website.
"I feel compelled today to present to the Executive Board my resignation from my post," Strauss-Kahn said in a statement. "I want to protect this institution which I have served with honor and devotion, and especially - especially - I want to devote all my strength, all my time, and all my energy to proving my innocence."
He also said he denied charges against him "with the greatest possible firmness."
John Lipsky, Strauss-Kahn's deputy, will become the acting head of the financial organization.
Strauss-Kahn, 62, was arrested last Sunday at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on board a plane to Paris. He is charged with attempting to rape a maid at the Sofitel hotel near Manhattan's Times Square.
MOSCOW, May 19 (RIA Novosti)
