House votes to lift immunity of MP Roman Pekárek

The Chamber of Deputies voted on Tuesday to lift the parliamentary immunity of the Civic Democrats’ Roman Pekárek. Mr. Pekárek had been in the process of appealing a six-year jail term for corruption when he gained a seat in the Chamber of Deputies due to the resignation of a party colleague. Some 158 of 161 deputies present in the lower house voted to strip him of his immunity, meaning that his appeal proceeding can now go ahead. Mr. Pekárek says he is innocent and has rejected calls for him to quit the lower house.