Raj told the Fiji Times that he was innocent of the charges, and that he had chosen to resign in order to protect the government. ""I have great respect for the Speaker of the House, the Parliament, Prime Minister and the nation,"" he said, ""and don't want such allegations to tarnish their image. The only proper action is to resign voluntarily while the legal process and police investigations take place."" He was sure that the ensuing police investigation would clear him.