Traffic police officers take bribes because motorist are ready to pay – ACC
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has urged motorists to refuse bribery demands from traffic officers and instead request a charge sheet for any alleged offences.
Responding to questions during the ACC first quarter press briefing yesterday, the Commission’s spokesperson Timothy Moono emphasised the need to break the cycle of corruption in law enforcement.
Following the revelation that Zambia made significant progress in the fight against corruption , ACC were asked the reason traffic officers persisted in collecting bribes on the road without being punished.
Moono responded by stating that if one is stopped by traffic officers for an offence, they should ask for a charge sheet and pay the fines, then the police officers “will not continue asking for that bribe.”
“The traffic officers continue to ask or create situations for motorists to pay bribes because the motorist are ready to pay,” Moono said.
“If as motorists we can refuse to pay the bribes, make sure our vehicles are road worthy all the time. There will not be any opportunity for corruption… But we allow a situation where they take advantage and so the cycle continues.”
Moono said the call was for everyone to reject, and resist corruption practices.
He reiterated the need for motorist to stop providing an avenue for the police officers to solicit bribes and called for them to report officers who they find doing so.
Meanwhile Moono revealed that the Commission is planning to appeal the acquittal of PF faction leader Given Lubinda on corruption charges.
“The commission is in the process of studying the judgement and we will launch the appeal as soon as possible,” said Moono.
On Thursday, The Economic and Financial Crimes Court acquitted Lubinda on charges related to possessing properties suspected to be proceeds of crime.
Your on spot fines are too high, over speeding fine is K300 and an officer enforcing it is willingly to get K100 if 10 car are caught three officers have a K1,000 to share between them. Reduced the fine or completely do away with on spot fines, the anti corrupt should be given opportunity to check through the records of infrared cameras and compile with offence charge sheet to see if it tallies. The other thing is road blocks are back on the road on a daily base, for example Leopards Hill Road it mounted everyday just changes spots. This we are not against but as public announcements were made as not to have equally the same should be done when the daily road blocks are back on the roads.
Which motorists in their right frame of mind will demand a charge sheet where a policeman inscribes a penalty fee of k500 when he can pay a k50 and rush to attend to their business? The solution lies in removing police from hiding in corners to catch unsuspecting traffic Offenders and using more of automated robots and also sensetizing the public on the penalties for traffic offences and making them manageable so that offenders can easily pay
If you want motorists to pay to government coffers instead of officers pockets then reduce the fines to the same level as officers pockets. Better you get a K50 into government coffers than the same K50 going into an officers pocket because government wants K300. Like this government will get a Sean tembo.
The government through RTSA should conduct educational sensitization campaigns on traffic regulations and offences. Zambia Police Traffic Officers for the love of money and corruption have taken advantage of the ignorance of most people. They impose offences on drivers and use force to intimidate motorists. In most cases Police Officer are confrontational and exaggerate the offences and quicker to threaten motorists that they would take to a Fast Tracking Court where they would pay higher fees which is not supposed to be.
Traffic Police Officers are abusing their responsibilities instead of policing Traffic regulations they see their responsibilities as a lucrative career. Majority of the Police Traffic Officers are very corrupt and survive on corruption and taking bribes. They have no shame to realise that what they do is evil and against the law. They buy goods and feed their families on corrupt money no wonder to be a Police Traffic Officer is admirable thing whereby even senior police officers favour them because indirectly they benefit from the same corruption.
The solution also is to improve the training of Police Officers and improve their conditions of service. The training of police officers from inception it creates instilling the tendencies of begging which culminate in tendencies of corruption. To a police officer any person who seem to have enough money is their boss and if that person commits an offence they would get money from that person and lessen the punishment or offence.