Defendant to learn fate in traffic embezzlement case

A traffic policeman, who’s accused of embezzlement, will learn his fate on July 1, as confirmed by the First High Criminal Court on Sunday. The defendant, who works at the Registration Department in the General Directorate of Traffic, is accused of unlawfully collecting vehicles’ registration fees without entering their data in the directorate’s system and embezzling the paid amounts. As shown in court files, the crimes occurred in 2016, but the matter was only discovered a year later.

In 2017, many drivers complained that their cars were not registered for an entire year, as the directorate’s system was not updated, despite the fact that they paid the fees to the defendant and received receipts from him, according to prosecutors. The directorate launched an investigation into the matter and the records led to the defendant, as the incidents occurred during his shift, court files say. When interrogated, he denied that he stole any amounts. He also claimed that his login password was used on several other computers in the department, adding that he had reported it to his superior, but no action was taken.

However, the defendant couldn’t support his claims with any evidence and he later confessed that he had taken the money and didn’t hand it over to the concerned department. The Public Prosecution earlier accused him of embezzlement and misusing his authority as a public servant entrusted to collect money on behalf of Interior Ministry. The prosecution’s accusations came after interrogating the suspect, hearing witnesses statements and reviewing the evidence.