The Greek parliament has voted against indicting an MP from the governing party, in a corruption probe that could have triggered early elections, BBC reported.

Aristotle Pavlides, a former minister, was alleged to have solicited bribes in return for granting shipping contracts.

His opponents were five votes short of the 151 needed in Greece's 300 seat parliament to indict him. But not all his party colleagues supported him.

Mr Pavlides denies any wrongdoing and has refused to resign his seat.

He would not have been forced to step down had MPs vote to send him for trial.

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis would have faced intense pressure to sack him from the centre-right New Democracy party, leaving it with 150 seats.

Members of the governing party did break ranks, and only 144 deputies voted in favour of Mr Pavlides.

There were 8 blanks ballots. Opposition parties votes against him totalled 146.

It is the latest corruption scandal to hit the government.

In October two ministers resigned after it emerged that state land was given to a monastery on Mount Athos, in return for much less valuable land.

Previously, a labour minister quit after employing uninsured immigrants, and his predecessor was forced out amid a bond-trading scandal.

The government's popularity has also been badly dented by the financial crisis, and the shooting by police of a teenaged boy that triggered riots in December.

Opinion polls suggest the ruling New Democracy party faces a strong challenge from the socialist Pasok party in the European parliament elections in June.