ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
June 9, 2006 Friday 04:15 AM EST

Kalmyk parliament terminates senator’s powers

by Fedor Zavyalov

ELISTA

Narodny Khural (parliament) of Kalmykia has passed a resolution on
Friday, terminating the powers of Kalmyk senator to the Federation
Council Levon Chakhmakhchian suspected of accepting a bribe. A
resolution on termination of the senator’s powers was backed by
eighteen deputies with one vote against.

After the Kalmyk parliament gave its consent to the senator’s
dismissal the Upper Chamber of the Russian parliament can raise the
question of early termination of powers of the Kalmyk senator at its
regular meeting due on June 23. Earlier, Chairman of the Federation
Council Sergei Mironov said that a senator’s personal statement for
early termination of powers as a member of the Federation Council was
unnecessary.

Sergei Mironov sent a document to the Kalmyk parliament on June 3,
notifying about a decision on early termination of powers of senator
from Kalmykia Levon Chakhmakhchian and consequently, stripping him of
immunity status. The Speaker was informed that FSB agents found
300,000 dollars in the Kalmyk deputy’s case during a secret
operation. The banknotes had earlier been marked by a fluorescent
reagent. The banknotes where found during checks made by security
agents into facts of bribery practiced by some senior officials for
withholding certain facts found out during inspections made by the
Russian Audit Chamber. The overall sum paid “in gratitude” totaled
approximately 1.5 million dollars.

Chief accountant of the Association of Russo-Armenian business
cooperation Igor Arushanov and assistant auditor of the Audit Chamber
Armen Oganesyan are under investigation on the same criminal case.
Both were detained in Moscow on charges of bribery on June 2.

Chakhmakhchian was elected senator of the Federation Council from
Kalmykia in 2004. He occupied the post of Deputy Chairman of the
Committee for problems of local governments.