Court in Humenné acquits four police officers: concealing fines was not a criminal offence
The District Court in Humenné has acquitted four traffic police officers. According to the ruling, although they did commit the acts, these do not constitute criminal offences. The prosecution has filed an appeal.
Court in Humenné acquits four police officers: concealing fines was not a criminal offence
The District Court in Humenné ruled in favour of four traffic police officers who faced charges of abuse of authority. The judge acquitted them of the indictment, stating that whilst he confirmed their conduct occurred, he did not consider it a criminal offence.
The case has been dragging on for twenty months. After they were charged by the inspection authority, the officers had to leave their posts. The prosecution accused them of eight instances in which they allegedly covered up traffic misdemeanours. Specifically, these were situations where a driver had exceeded the speed limit, but the officers attributed this offence to a different colleague. Subsequently, these cases were not forwarded to their superior.
The prosecutor criticised the defendants harshly in her closing statement. She said they had adapted the motto "To serve and protect" in order to protect their own interests.
However, the defence lawyers challenged the indictment from several angles. They argued that it was imprecise, unlawful and unsupported by evidence. They also pointed to inconsistent approaches by the inspection authority – in Bardejov, similar cases involving 80 officers were dealt with only through a reprimand from the chief, without criminal prosecution or suspension of duties.
All four defendants denied guilt in court. One of them stated that he felt innocent and that his conduct did not fall under criminal law provisions.
In reaching his decision, the judge focused on whether the seriousness of the acts justified criminal proceedings. He concluded that in such a case, disciplinary proceedings would have sufficed. A superior could issue a reprimand, warning, reduce salary, or issue dismissal.
The ruling is not yet final. The prosecution has filed an appeal against the acquittal of the police officers.
Source: Noviny.sk
Source: Google News SK — Crime (sk)