Anti-corruption prosecutors detained two policemen of the Metropolitan Road Brigade, who were caught red-handed on Thursday while accepting a bribe from a driver, for 24 hours.

In a press release issued Thursday evening, the National Anti-Corruption Directorate announced that DNA prosecutors “ordered the opening of a criminal investigation and the detention of the suspects for 24 hours starting on April 27, 2023:

• PANTEA ANDREI, Police Commissioner of the General Directorate of the Bucharest City Police – Road Brigade, for committing the crime of bribery, in a long form,
• OLTEANU VALENTIN, senior police officer of the General Directorate of the Bucharest City Police – Road Brigade, for committing the crime of bribery, in a long form.”

Accusations of the prosecutor’s office

“The decision of the prosecutors states that there are circumstances in the case that give rise to reasonable suspicion, stating the following state of affairs:

• In the period from March 19 to April 22, 2023, the suspects Pantya Andrii and Olteanu Valentyn, while performing the above-mentioned positions, would receive, in connection with the failure to fulfill some documents that were part of their official duties, respectively, for not clarifying and imposing fine or for the purpose of not applying an additional illegal sanction in the form of suspension of the right to drive, sums of money that did not belong to them, from 23 drivers who would have violated traffic rules on public roads.
• As a method of operation, most of the time the money hidden between the documents requested by the chief police officer Olteanu Valentyn (insurance or registration certificate) went to the commissioner Pantei Andrii. Later, he took out the money, put it in his wallet or pocket, and at the end of the program, these sums of money were shared between them.
• In the above context, on April 27, 2023, the two suspects would have been caught red-handed by anti-corruption prosecutors after receiving a total of over 2,000 lei from the four drivers.”

DNA clarifies that the suspects have been informed of the procedural qualities and charges, and on Friday, April 28, the two policemen are to be presented to a Bucharest court with a proposal for preventive arrest for 30 days.

Screaming in a police car in the center of Bucharest

Two police officers of the Highways Service were caught on Thursday while accepting a bribe, a flashy action was organized on Calea Dorobanti in the capital, where the police car they were in was also searched.

Judicial sources told HotNews.ro that it is about an officer and a non-commissioned officer of the Road Service caught while accepting a bribe from a Turkish driver in order not to reveal various traffic violations.

As judicial sources told HotNews.ro, DNA prosecutors searched the headquarters of the Capital Road Brigade, as well as the homes of two police officers.

The reaction of the metropolitan police

The Metropolitan Police sent in a press release that “in the context in which the institution does not allow such facts that contradict the ethics and moral values ​​of the profession”, the management of the institution ordered to open a criminal case. a disciplinary investigation against them through the Internal Control Service, “following which appropriate orders on possible legal action will be taken after the completion of the checks.”

• “Also, in the event of the opening of criminal proceedings, in accordance with the law, policemen will be assigned to the unit.
• We clarify the fact that the General Directorate of Police of the Municipality of Bucharest disassociates itself from such behavior and supports the competent authorities in the ongoing investigations,” the capital police also reported.