Mauritius president refuses to resign

PORT LOUIS, Mauritius: Mauritian President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim has refused to resign, vowing to fight allegations that saw her embroiled in a financial scandal, the presidency said in a statement Wednesday.

Gurib-Fakim, Africa's only female head of state, has been accused of using a bank card provided by an NGO to make personal purchases. Last Friday Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth announced that Gurib-Fakim had agreed to resign, with a date set for her departure after Monday´s ceremony celebrating the Indian Ocean archipelago nation´s 50 years of independence. However, a statement from the presidency slammed "weeks of attacks and false allegations" and said that Gurib-Fakim planned to clear her name and would not resign.