A former traffic police inspector in Verkhnyaya Pyshma has been sentenced to eight years in a general regime penal colony and fined 600,000 rubles for accepting bribes from driving school students. He was also prohibited from holding positions in the civil service within the law enforcement system for a term of 5 years and was deprived of the rank of Senior Lieutenant of Police.

The inspector was found guilty under Part 3 of Article 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Receipt by an official through an intermediary of a bribe in the form of money for illegal actions and inaction in favor of the bribe-givers”). The court took him into custody in the courtroom.

The scheme, which began in August of last year, involved two acquaintances, including a driving instructor, who acted as intermediaries. Their role was to identify students who had failed the practical driving test for category ‘B’ vehicles at least twice and were seeking a guaranteed passing grade on their next attempt. One accomplice would sit in the back of the exam vehicle and provide hints to the student.

In one instance, the inspector ignored a student’s significant traffic violations during an exam, which could have led to an accident, and marked the student as “passed” on the examination sheet. The student paid 40,000 rubles for this, with 15,000 rubles going to the inspector and 25,000 rubles divided among the other participants.

The inspector received 15,000 rubles each from two other individuals during the same month. Following these incidents, he was dismissed from his position.

Materials regarding the other individuals involved in the scheme have been separated into a separate proceeding. Authorities stated that the students who paid the bribes will not face charges due to their “active repentance.”

It should be noted that, starting April 1, 2024, students who fail the driving test three times must wait between six and nine months before retaking the exam.

In related news, a former official from Degtyarsk was also sentenced this week for bribing his boss and holding a municipal office.