Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, S.C., says the government is aware of repeated complaints about traffic police officers allegedly demanding bribes from drivers and warned that the issue will have to be dealt with more seriously.
Speaking on his Issues in the News programme, Nandlall said complaints have been reaching the authorities about ranks extracting cash from road users, particularly in traffic enforcement matters. He made it clear that the allegations are not being ignored and said the matter is one that the government intends to address in greater detail.
According to the Attorney General, many drivers may not realise that there are only limited traffic offences for which a police officer can detain a person. In most cases, he said, the proper course is for the officer to issue a ticket, not demand money at the roadside.
Nandlall also urged motorists to stop participating in bribery, arguing that corruption involves both the person soliciting the payment and the one offering it.
“Corruption has two players, the briber and the bribee,” he said, while stressing that the transaction cannot happen unless both sides take part. He encouraged members of the public who are asked for bribes to use their cell phones to record or photograph the officer and make the matter public, rather than handing over money.
“If a bribe is asked of you, you have a cell phone, take the man’s photograph and make it public,” Nandlall said.
The Attorney General further stated that if an officer unlawfully detains a driver over a traffic offence, the person should report the matter or seek legal representation, noting that legal action can be pursued.
He said the government’s move toward making more traffic offences ticketed offences is intended in part to reduce opportunities for abuse and arbitrary roadside detention. While acknowledging that some drivers may still choose to pay, Nandlall said the complaints are numerous and serious enough that they cannot be brushed aside.
“I know, I am aware, we have received numerous complaints,” he said, adding that the matter will be addressed more fully in a future programme.
