GNR traffic cop trousered drivers' fine payments

Paul Rees 19 February 2019

gnr A member of the GNR on traffic duty has been accused of trousering money handed over by motorists for traffic violations.

The Public Prosecutor's Office in Portimão is prosecuting the 45-year-old GNR guard from Lagos for 36 instances of embezzlement, 38 crimes of forgery, passive corruption and abuse of power.

According to the indictment, "between October 2015 and March 2018, in the Lagos area, the accused, in the exercise of his functions of traffic supervision, kept part of the amounts that he received for payment of fines for road violations."

The Public Prosecutor's Office further believes that, in order not to be detected, he falsified the respective records.

The defendant has been suspended from duties and the prosecutor, rather sensibly considering the circumstances, requested that he be fired.

Comments

+5 #5 AL 2019-02-20 11:20

Quoting RCK:

I...what controls are in place to stamp out the potential for such police corruption?

An easy one! Fines should be payed via mulitbanco or some electronic system and not in CASH to the corrupt GNR.
The fine will have a code to indicate that it was issued by officer Manuel so that he can get his commission.

+8 #4 Richard 2 2019-02-20 10:35

Sorry, there are instances of corruption by police and by public service workers everywhere; in quite every country of the world with few exceptions. It should be considered a positive sign that such instances are brought to light in Portugal.

p.s. - none of the countries in Europe, including the UK, are exceptions.

0 #3 Jordan 2019-02-20 09:38

What has changed in Portugal over 3 decades ? In a more developed country how could this number of offences against one copper have amassed? GNR road blocks are 'usually' manned by out of area GNR to minimise this - or its counterpoint; favouritism and letting friends and family pass - happening. There is also the unanswerable question : who finally shopped him as it cannot have been a foreigner. Lastly we must remember that there is a buddy - buddy system in GNR policing in place so for one to be actively bent, his / her partner needs to be passively bent to let it go on.

+7 #2 Jack Reacher 2019-02-20 08:12

When will people realise that corruption runs deep through all facets of this Govrnment. Which ADN readers seriously think the GNR are squeaky clean?

+13 #1 RCK 2019-02-19 18:19

Innocent until proven guilty of course, but, I do wonder how many more may be out there and what controls are in place to stamp out the potential for such police corruption?

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