Penza, 24 April 2017. PenzaNews. The Penza City Duma deputies of the 7th convocation Andrei Sakmaev, Sergei Sedov and Boris Dryakin decided to abdicate responsibility earlier. This was stated in an open letter from the deputies that was received by the PenzaNews editorial office on Monday, April 24.

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"We, Penza City Duma deputies, Andrei Anatolyevich Sakmaev, Sergei Alexeevich Sedov, Boris Borisovich Dryakin, being aware of the liability for mistakes made in report documents during declaration campaign and taking into account wide response caused by the issue, declare early abdication of deputy's mandates. We also announce that our actions were not premeditated and that we had no intent to conceal information about revenues, expenditures, assets, and liabilities of property nature for the year 2015," the text states.

It underlines that during the whole period of time after the elections, the deputies were "faithful to undertaken commitments, worked honestly for the benefit of voters implementing their orders, making decisions aimed for Penza development and increasing the level of comfort of the residents".

"We hope that Penza citizens who rendered honour to us by letting represent their interests in the representative body of state power in the regional centre and our colleagues will give us support and understanding. The decision to resign was difficult to made but necessary. We are grateful to our voters and colleagues for many years of collaboration for the benefit of Penza," the open letter states.

As Andrei Sakmaev told PenzaNews, he found out that his colleagues also decided to resign only after he submitted the relevant application to the City Duma.

"I submitted the application, and then, when it turned out that several other deputies did the same, we discussed the issue and wrote such weighted open letter," the interlocutor explained.

Commenting on the made decision, Andrei Sakmaev noted that each of the three men had motives of their own but what they had in common was the desire that "rumors about the City Duma should stop".

It is planned that the issue will be considered at the Penza City Duma meeting that will be held on Wednesday, April 26.