London, Sep 22 - The British minister in charge of prosecuting criminals was Tuesday fined 5,000 pounds for employing an illegal immigrant.

Attorney General Baroness Patricia Scotland was fined after the Daily Mail newspaper revealed last week that she was employing a Tongan illegal immigrant as her housekeeper.

Loloahi Tapui, 27, had been found living in Britain illegally for five years after overstaying a student visa.

Scotland tendered an apology Tuesday and Prime Minister Gordon Brown spoke up on her behalf, but the opposition Conservative Party called for her resignation.

Scotland said she was 'sincerely' sorry for an 'inadvertent error' but insisted that she had made only a 'technical breach' of the law in employing Tapui.

'I accept it is my duty to pay the fine and I have done so,' the minister said.