Will 50 euros be enough?” Truck driver in Zemgale faces criminal charges after being stopped by police 0 10

In Zemgale, a driver of a Scania truck attempted to "resolve the issue" with a bribe of 50 euros after being stopped by the police. The incident occurred in the Dobele municipality, in the Tervete parish, on the Puri–Auce–Grivaiši road.

According to the State Police, around 10:17, police officers recorded a truck with a trailer traveling through the settlement of Kronjaucte at a speed of 75 km/h instead of the permitted 50 km/h.

For such a speeding violation, the driver faced an administrative fine of 160 euros without the loss of driving rights. However, the situation quickly escalated into a criminal case.

According to the police, the first thing the driver said after being stopped was:

"Nothing is needed, will 50 euros be enough?"

The police officer warned the man several times that offering a bribe is punishable by law. Despite this, the driver continued to insist on offering money.

As a result, two processes were initiated against the man — an administrative one for speeding and a criminal one for attempting to bribe a public official.

The driver has already paid the fine for speeding. However, he now faces a significantly more serious punishment. According to the Criminal Law, offering or giving a bribe to a public official can result in imprisonment for up to five years, community service, probation supervision, or a monetary fine.

The police note that such cases continue to occur. Since the beginning of the year, this is already the fifth case of attempted bribery of State Police officers.

Previously, bribes were offered in Latgale and Zemgale — the amounts varied from 50 to 200 euros. Most often, drivers attempted to avoid responsibility for driving under the influence or without a driver's license.

The incident in the Dobele municipality shows that attempting to "settle the matter on the spot" can be significantly more expensive than a regular fine.