Press Release, 18.11.2021

Photo by Igor Ivanko / Kommersant

The Anti-Corruption Policy Centre of the Yabloko party asked the Moscow police to check the apartments where former deputies of the State Duma have been living unlawfully a month after the end of their MP term. In addition, the transfer of 17 apartments for use to MPs’ assistants and relatives of the deputies, who themselves live at other addresses, should also become the subject of inspection, but already by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The Vedomosti newspaper found out that nine former State Duma deputies did not leave the housing provided to them and paid for by the State Duma for the period of their term. State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin asked the leaders of the United Russia and the LDPR factions, as the unauthorized tenants were their members, to influence the former deputies. The names of these former MPs were not disclosed.

The Anti-Corruption Policy Centre notes that, according to Article 34, Part 2, of the Federal Law “On the status of a senator of the Russian Federation and the status of a deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation”, a deputy who has terminated his powers is obliged to vacate his the housing provided to him/her by the State Duma of the Federation Council a month after the end of his/her powers.

“The salary of a State Duma deputy amounts to 476.000 roubles per month, like that of federal ministers. This amount does not include numerous benefits, and cars and housing provided by the State Duma. Apparently, some former MPs cannot accept that the country will no longer pay for their comfort. It is very strange that the State Duma administration department does not take legal action to evict these people,” Alexei Chumakov, Deputy Director of the Anti-Corruption Policy Centre of Yabloko and lawyer, commented on the resonant case.

The transfer of 17 apartments to assistants and relatives of State Duma deputies for use will be the subject of a separate trial. The Federal Law “On the status of a senator of the Russian Federation …” guarantees official housing only for deputies and senators who do not have their own housing in Moscow. The transfer of benefits to deputies’ acquaintances and friends is not envisaged by the federal law.

The Anti-Corruption Policy Centre of the Yabloko party appealed to the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the police with a statement that the former deputies had violated the law and had actually seized the housing provided to them by the State Duma on a provisional basis.

 ALEXEI CHUMAKOV

is Deputy Director of

Anti-Corruption Policy Centre of the

Yabloko party