A police officer in Egilsstaðir, East Iceland, has been suspended while accusations against him of defrauding tourists are being investigated. The officer is believed to have fined drivers, mostly foreign tourists, for speeding, asking for cash and keeping the money.
Snorri Magnússon, chair of the Police Federation of Iceland, told ruv.is that he has never heard of a similar case in Icelandic police departments and considers it to be very serious for the police’s reputation.
A foreign tourist notified the police about after having been stopped by the officer in question last August. The officer is believed to have defrauded many drivers in this manner throughout the summer and perhaps for a longer period.
When fining drivers for speeding, police officers aren’t authorized to accept cash.
If convicted, the officer may be facing up to six years in prison.
