Penza, 23 October 2017. PenzaNews. A criminal case suggesting possible offence under Art. 142.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation "Falsification of Results of Voting" was opened in the Gorodishchensky area of the Penza region. This was reported by Tatyana Makhnitskaya, senior assistant of the head of the regional investigative department for media relations under the Investigative Committee of Russia.

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According to the investigation, on September 10, 2017, during the elections to the Legislative Assembly of the Penza region of the sixth convocation and deputies representing the Gorodishchensky area of the fourth convocation at the polling station in village Srednyaya Elyuzan undetermined persons falsified voters' signatures in the relevant lists," the interlocutor said.

She explained that the electoral register contained the name of a man who allegedly put a signature in the column for receiving a ballot. At the same time, since 2013 until now he has been serving a sentence in one of penitentiary facilities of the Penza region.

"A similar situation emerged in connection with a citizen of Srednyaya Elyuzan, who has lived in another settlement during several years and did not come to the voting station in Srednyaya Elyuzan on the polling day. A forensic handwriting examination established that the signatures had been put by other persons and not by the above mentioned voters," Tatyana Makhnitskaya added.

According to her, at that moment investigative activities were carried out in order to establish all circumstances of the incident.