Putin Party politician arrested for murder plot
In Russia, investigators arrest a member of the Federation Council. Senator Dmitri Savelyev is suspected of hiring a hitman to kill a former business partner.
A Russian senator from the ruling party has been detained on suspicion of ordering a murder. The Federation Council, the upper house of Russia's parliament in Moscow, voted to strip Senator Dmitri Savelyev of his immunity, a spokesperson said. Savelyev was arrested directly as he left the session, Russia's state news agency TASS reported.
According to Russia's prosecutor's office, the high-ranking politician allegedly hired a killer in August 2023 to murder a business partner. The plot was foiled, but the authorities staged the crime to expose the mastermind and organizers, a spokesperson said. Savelyev allegedly paid the promised fee - Russian newspaper "Izvestia" reported it was $100,000.
The former oil manager Savelyev belongs to the Kremlin party United Russia. He has represented the Tula region south of Moscow in the Federation Council since 2016, previously serving as a State Duma deputy. According to the business daily "Kommersant," Savelyev's animosity towards the businessman stemmed from the latter embezzling funds from their joint company. Savelyev had already served a prison sentence for this crime.
In recent weeks, there have been several high-profile arrests among top officials in Russia on suspicion of corruption. However, targeting a senator for murder suspicion is unusual. In the 1990s, many economic conflicts in Russia were resolved through contract killings.
The Federation Council, being the upper house of Russia's parliament, took action against Senator Dmitri Savelyev by removing his immunity. The Russian Commission of Prosecutors is actively investigating the allegations against Savelyev, who is accused of hiring a hitman.
