A commander of a division of Traffic police in Attica was caught red-handed to receive 2,000 euros by a citizen in order to erase several fines amounting 10,000 euros. together with the commander, a police officer who was present at the transaction was arrested as well as the owner of a vehicles repair shop.
The operation took place on Tuesday night in a vehicles repair shop in Athens.
According to a statement issued by the Greek Police, the arrests took place after a citizen made a complain that he was asked to give to traffic police officer 2,000 if he wanted to have several fines erased.
Investigation of the case began after a complaint by a citizen, according to whom the police officer asked him to pay the sum of 2,000 euros in order to have fines erased and the return of the license plates. The fines totaling 10,500 euros were imposed during a traffic police control to a company vehicle.
In several meetings with the officers the citizen was asked to pay the above mentioned amount.
Police and the complainant arranged a meeting to hand over the money to the repair shop owner. The euro bank notes were marked.
After the hand-over, police raided the garage, seized the money and arrested the garage owner.
In the meantime, the owner had informed the traffic police officers about the money.
When the citizen went to traffic police, he was told that the fines were erased and had the license plates returned.
The two traffic police officers were arrested and were suspended from duty.
The two officers face charges for bribery and the garage owner for complicity in bribery.
An internal police investigation is being conducted.
And presumably the ‘citizen’ is still liable for the €10,500 fines he incurred?
I think I would probably have just paid the 2000 and kept my mouth shut.
Quite apart from the €8,500 he would have saved, I would imagine that now his relationship with the local police department will be less than comfortable. I wouldn’t like to be in his shoes if he needs police assistance of some sort in the future. They do tend to stick together in these organisations,
To be clear, I’m not condoning the demands of a bribe – I think it’s appalling that this should have occurred – but I think pragmatism would have perhaps been the wiser approach.
on the other hand maybe fines were overcharged. 10,500 euro? the vehicle had 3 wheels?