The State Duma on Friday honored the resignation request of United Russia's Anatoly Lomakin, who became the ruling party's third deputy to leave the lower house of parliament last week, Interfax reported. The 60-year-old, worth an estimated $1.2 billion, had served six months in the legislative body. He left due to health reasons.

Last week United Russia Deputy Vasily Tolstopyatov asked to resign after news reports said his income was suspiciously high. Vladimir Pekhtin, a United Russia co-founder who headed the Duma's Ethics and Credentials Commission, quit amid a scandal that he purportedly owned millions of dollars worth of undeclared property in Florida.

(MT)