European Parliament authorises MEP on information-gathering mission

The European Parliament has authorised Austrian representative, Maria Berger, to begin a fact-finding mission concerning Czech member of the European Parliament Vladimir Zelezny, after a Prague court asked that Mr Zelezny be stripped of parliamentary immunity. Czech officials are looking to summon Mr Zelezny to court in connection with an alleged case of customs fraud, in which Mr Zelezny may have failed to declare a number of valuable paintings brought into the country.