Russian Duma deputy suspected over fraud to lose immunity

The head of the Russian State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Aleksey M., who is suspected of large-scale fraud, may be deprived of immunity from prosecution based on a decision of the Duma Regulatory Committee, the Russian daily media Kommersant wrote.

“If the majority of the State Duma deputies agrees to deprive Alexey M., who is suspected of being involved in bribery, of immunity from prosecution at the next plenary meeting on June 10. Investigators will be able to initiate a criminal fraud case against him,” the media wrote.

Alexey M. is a witness in the criminal case on extortion of USD 200,000 from a co-owner of a company Arktur-Stroy, Vyacheslav Zharov, for assistance in an arbitration case in 2012.

The suspect allegedly was present at the transfer of the bribe from Zharov’s representatives, but the immunity status did not allow investigators to detain him for further prosecution.

Photo courtesy of A.Savin