The incident occurred during the “Safe on the motorway, expressway and national road” operation conducted by officers from the Traffic Department of the District Police Headquarters in Złotoryja on the A4 motorway.
Police officers stopped a truck driver for inspection after he failed to comply with the ban on overtaking heavy goods vehicles. For the offence, the officers informed the 51-year-old that he would receive a PLN 1,000 fine.
According to the officers, the man did not want to accept the consequences. Explaining that he was in a great hurry, he allegedly offered the officers PLN 190 in exchange for discontinuing their official proceedings and not issuing the fine.
The police immediately informed the driver that his conduct could constitute a criminal offence. The man was arrested and taken to a police station, where the necessary procedural activities were carried out, and was then placed in a detention facility.
The 51-year-old will now face charges both for the offence of overtaking with a heavy goods vehicle in an area where it is prohibited and for attempting to offer a financial benefit to public officials. Under the provisions of the Criminal Code, such an offence is punishable by between one and up to 10 years’ imprisonment. The court will make the final decision in both matters.
The police remind the public that every attempt to give money or other financial benefits to a public official is a criminal offence and carries serious legal consequences. As the officers emphasize, it is not possible to “sort out the matter” during a traffic stop by handing over money. It is much safer to follow traffic regulations and accept responsibility for an offence than to expose oneself to criminal liability for a crime.