MOSCOW, October 8 (RIA Novosti) - A Chechen businessman embroiled in a custody dispute with the daughter of a Soviet-era pop icon could take a seat in the upper house of the Russian parliament, a respected business daily said on Thursday.
Ruslan Baisarov, 41, could replace the senator for Chechnya, Umar Dzhabrailov, 51, who resigned on Wednesday, two years before his term of office terminated, Kommersant said.
The businessman, believed to be worth some $200 million, has been in the headlines in Russia recently due to a custody dispute with Kristina Orbakaite, daughter of Soviet pop star Alla Pugachyova, over their 11-year-old son Deni.
Baisarov is known to have close ties to Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov. The two are reported to have made a pilgrimage to Mecca together, according to Gazeta.ru.
