Leftist social democrats rejected with 10 votes the move to prosecute fellow member Nastase, while democrat liberal deputies cast nine votes in favor of starting criminal investigation against him.
The members of National Liberal Party and those of the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, or UDMR, were either absent or declined to vote in the matter.
Romania’s prosecutor general Laura Codruta Kovesi requested approval from the Chamber of Deputies to prosecute Nastase in connection with several bribery investigations.
Nastase repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, saying the allegations were politically motivated.