MOSCOW, October 9 (Itar-Tass) - Deputy Secretary of United Russia Party's General Council Andrei Isayev said on Wednesday that was taking the responsibility for the incident on board a St. Petersburg-Moscow flight involving him and his aide, and was ready to suspend his membership in the General Council’s presidium, the press service of United Russia reported.
It also said Isayev had submitted resignation from the post of deputy secretary of the party’s General Council.
“I want to apologize to all who felt uncomfortable in that incident. I regret that and believe I must assume the whole responsibility for my aide as well,” the press service said.
He said he had asked to quit the post “being aware that the incident negatively affects the image of the United Russia Party”.
The secretary of the General Council, Sergei Neverov, hailed his decision as “absolutely correct”. “We have repeatedly stressed that moral and ethical norms for all members of the party, and especially for those occupying leading positions, are the first priority”.
Tass reported earlier that on October 8, the crew of a plane on St Petersburg-Moscow flight decided to remove passenger Alexander Poglazov for misconduct and disrupting public order. He was in a state of alcoholic intoxication. Poglazor had boarded the plane together with Isayev, who said during the incident that he was a Duma deputy and demanded to move Poglazov to business class. He threatened the crew that they would be sacked, Aeroflot spokesman Andrei Sogrin said.
As a result Poglazov left the plane voluntarily accompanied by police officers, while Isayev refused to fly, he added.