Athens - Greek government spokesman Theodoros Rousopoulos resigned on Thursday over a real-estate scandal that has linked the conservative government with a monastery in northern Greece.

Rousopoulos reportedly handed in his resignation to Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and the prime minister accepted it, thanking him for his support to the party over the past eight years.

A former journalist, Rousopoulos, 45, was one of the closest aides to the prime minister, but he came under severe criticism from within the conservative party recently over his public handling of shady land deals with a monastery that is now under investigation by parliament. (dpa)