MOSCOW, May 21 - RAPSI. Liberal Democratic Party leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky may soon be questioned in regard to the large-scale bribery case against his aide, Izvestia newspaper reports on Monday.

MP aide Oleg Bogomolkin demanded $150,000 from the director of a legal firm in exchange for a promise to assist in closing a criminal case against him, investigators said.

They also suspect that part of the money was to be presented to Zhirinovsky on his birthday.

Bogomolkin was detained on April 20 after receiving $50,000. Investigators believe the sum was the first part of the bribe.

He is suspected of fraud, but investigators have yet to bring charges against him. Bogomolkin is pleading not guilty.

This is not the first time Zhirinovsky's name has come up in relation to allegations of fraud. In early May, political consultants Vladislav Kalinin and Pavel Popov were sentenced to five years in prison for trading MP seats in the State Duma. The defendants claimed to have negotiated the deal with Zhirinovsky himself. They maintain they acted under the law and were set up.