LONDON, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- A minister in the Welsh Assembly was found dead Tuesday, just days after being suspended by the Labour Party over allegations of improper personal conduct.
North Wales Police said in a statement that the body of Welsh Assembly Member Carl Sargeant was discovered after police were called at 11:30 a.m. local time to an address in Connah's Quay, a small town in North Wales.
Police Supt Mark Pierce said Sargeant's family have been informed and police are supporting the family.
Pierce said: "North Wales Police are not treating his death as suspicious and the matter has been referred to HM Coroner. The family request that their privacy is respected at this sad time."
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the death was "deeply shocking news".
In a statement, Sargeant's family said they were "devastated beyond words" at the loss of "the glue that bound us together".
The Daily Post newspaper in Wales said Welsh Assembly business in Cardiff was put on hold after the news broke.
The newspaper reported that the Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones revealed Monday that Sargeant was to be investigated over a "number of alleged incidents with women".
It reported that Sargeant has said in a statement Friday that he had met with the First Minister and been informed that allegations had been made about his personal conduct.
Sargeant said on Friday: "The details of the allegations have yet to be disclosed to me. I have written to the General Secretary of Welsh Labour requesting an urgent independent investigation into these allegations in order to allow me to clear my name.
"Given the nature of the allegations, I agreed with the First Minister that it was right that I stand aside from cabinet today. I look forward to returning to government once my name has been cleared. I won't be commenting further at this stage."
Wales First Minister Carwyn Jones said: "Carl was a friend as well as a colleague and I am shocked and deeply saddened by his death. He made a big contribution to Welsh public life and fought tirelessly for those he represented both as a minister and as a local assembly member. He will be a great loss both to our party and to the Senedd (Welsh Assembly)."
