A traffic cop has been suspended after he was caught on camera accepting a bribe from a motorist who had just driven through a red light.
A local resident spotted the incident and filmed it with his smartphone in the city of San Miguel de Tucuman in the north-western Argentinian province of Tucuman.
The footage appears to show the man being handed some money by his wife, a passenger in the car, and then passing it to the police officer after he holds out his hand.
The neighbour, whose name has not been revealed, said he saw the police motorcyclist pull over the car after the driver failed to stop for a red light.
He got suspicious and started filming after noticing the driver and his wife walk around the back of the vehicle with the traffic cop.
After the motorist appears to hand the policeman the money, he hands him back his driving licence and seems to hide the cash inside his notebook.
The police officer was later suspended and an investigation launched after the smartphone footage was posted on video-sharing platforms.
Local government spokesman Walter Berarducci said: “In cases like these, where there is a report or a video that is so strong, the officer is suspended, as has happened here.
“We also have information about the driver. We need to fight this kind of corruption on both sides, not just public officials receiving bribes but also citizens offering them.
“Here there is not an instigator and a victim. Both are guilty. The video was given to me by local media and I saw how angry netizens are. I understand it.”
Enrique Romero, the sub-director of the city’s traffic department, said the video would be used as evidence against both men.
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Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
