MOSCOW, November 22 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian State Duma's parliamentary majority supported a motion on Friday to send to court a criminal case against an opposition lawmaker charged with trying to sell a Duma seat.
Communist party lawmaker Konstantin Shirshov waived his parliamentary immunity this February. Investigators suspect him of trying in 2011 to sell a spot in the party list for that year's parliamentary elections to an unnamed businessman for 7.5 million euro ($10 million).
Shirshov strongly denied all accusations. Fraud charges against him were filed on April 19.
Russian Deputy Prosecutor General Alexander Buksman told a State Duma session on Friday the investigation had been completed and the case is ready to be submitted to a judge.
The ruling United Russia faction and the opposition LDPR party, which together control nearly 300 seats in the 450-seat State Duma, supported the move. The opposition A Just Russia party voted against while Shirshov’s fellow Communists abstained.
