Russian oppositional lawmaker Gennady Gudkov may be stripped of his mandate over his involvement in commercial activity while in office.

Gudkov, 56, could be ousted from the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, in a vote set for September 12 over allegations that he has been directly involved in commercial activity while serving as a lawmaker, something forbidden under Russian law.

Russian authorities have now confirmed that Gudkov has participated in the management of a company that bought property in Bulgaria.

The MP was probed after a complaint against him P was filed by Bulgarian Ivaylo Zartov, Gudkov's former business associate, Russian media say.

Gudkov, who has been a member of parliament since 2001, would become only the second lawmaker in post-Soviet Russia to be removed from parliament without a court ruling, RIA Novosti reminds.

The MP has stated that the attempt to expel him from parliament to what he says is part of a wider crackdown on dissent that has also seen key opposition figure Alexei Navalny charged with large-scale embezzlement.

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