The farce below the stage ended, and the meeting continued.
Gryzlov announced that the motion to remove Luzhkov had passed. Effective immediately, Luzhkov was no longer the governor of Moscow Oblast!
There were no longer any legal obstacles to the joint task force's subsequent prosecution, investigation, or even interrogation of Luzhkov. They could proceed without restraint!
The moment Gryzlov finished speaking, Danya dialed her phone and gave the order to arrest Luzhkov immediately!
She feared that delays would breed trouble, and even more so that Luzhkov might flee or take desperate measures as soon as he learned of the Duma's vote.
So, before today's assembly had even begun, Danya had coordinated with the Ministry of Internal Affairs personnel in the task force and deployed a special operations unit along with a large number of Ministry of Internal Affairs special police outside the oblast government building!
The moment the resolution passed, they would launch the arrest operation immediately!
At the same time, Luzhkov was in his office at the oblast government building, anxiously following the developments at the Duma.
He learned the voting results the instant they came out.
Yet everything that had happened at the venue today—especially the Moscow Faction deputies' collective "defection"—was even harder for Luzhkov to accept than losing his position as governor!
If the deputies from his own faction had continued to support him, then even if the Duma passed his removal and he was dismissed and prosecuted, there would still have been hope of turning things around.
After all, dozens of deputies from his faction would keep a close eye on his interrogation, speak up for him outside, and work on his behalf.
In that case, the joint investigation team would never have dared to mess with him during the interrogation.
But now? Even the