Despite video, traffic police officer denies corruption accusations

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Despite video, traffic police officer denies corruption accusations

8:18 CAT | 29 Dec 2016

O País

The traffic policeman who was filmed extorting money from a family of South African tourists has denied the charges against him.

The police officer, Jose Soares, who had been head of the traffic police brigade at the Moamba toll fate, on the Maputo-
South Africa motorway, was shown, in handcuffs, to reporters at Tuesday’s press briefing given by the spokesperson of the General Command of the Mozambican police, Inácio Dina.

Soares claimed “I ordered the car to stop and I simply alerted all the passengers that they should wear their seat belts. After they fastened their seat belts, they drove away. I didn’t receive any money from the tourists”.

Clearly Soares had not seen the video, shot by someone in the car, and widely distributed by social media.

“Open up!”, Soares can he heard saying on the video. “Four thousand, four thousand. Seat belts. That will be eight thousand meticais” (about 112 US dollars). The family of tourists did not have this sum on their person. After haggling, the officer accepted a note which appears to have been 200 rands.

A member of the family then asked for a receipt, and Soares can be heard laughing as he walked away.

Dina said that when Soares was arrested he was in possession of over 28,140 meticais in three currencies (meticais, US dollars and South African rands). It is believed that the money was the fruit of extortion, but Soares claimed it came from his wages, and he intended to use it for holiday purchases. However, he admitted that his wages are only 15,000 meticais a month.

After the incident with the South African tourists, Soares visited his home province of Zambezia, allegedly in order to consult a witch-doctor who would use his magical powers to have the charges against him dismissed.

But one of Soares’s colleagues informed his superiors of these travel plans, and when Soares returned on Sunday, police were waiting for him at Maputo airport and he was promptly arrested.

Dina said Soares has been suspended from duty and is facing disciplinary and criminal proceedings, which could culminate in his expulsion from the police force.

Source: AIM