By Amin Kef Sesay
Admitted, Francis Ben Kaifala and the Anti-Corruption Commission under the new 2019 ACC Act have made tremendous gains in the fight against corruption in terms of recovery, prosecution and putting in place preventive measures in MDAs to forestall commission of corruption.
The truth of the matter is that, for us ordinary citizens who daily use the roads, we are not impressed that the new IG and the ACC have done virtually little or nothing to stop once and for all the blatant corruption of Traffic Police and Traffic Wardens who daily extort tens of millions of Leones at various booking points in the Western area and the country from bus, poda poda, taxi, okada and kekeh drivers that goes directly into their pockets and their bosses sitting at divisional headquarters.
Whether Mr. Kaifala and IG Sovula know it or not, over 70% of people has little or none confidence in the Traffic Police Force because the rampant corruption in the traffic division is directly responsible for half way and the immeasurable suffering that passengers face at the hands of commercial drives who pay anything up to Le100, 000 daily as bookings to Traffic Police and Wardens with us the poor helpless passengers left to pay for the losses to drivers.
A typical case might involve a Traffic Police Officer halting a driver without explanation, and demanding bribes before letting him or her proceed. Processing unjustifiably demanded driver licenses and vehicle certificates is another example.
Corrupt Police bring inefficiency and unfairness. Further, genuine traffic policing is diluted by corruption when officers’ efforts are diverted away from meaningful enforcement. Instead of time going to bribery, it should go to the impaired driver, speeding in an unsafe vehicle.
Anticorruption measures can improve traffic safety.
Measures concerning Police Officers involve: added employment benefits, monitoring and control of their operations and increased sentence if involved in bribery/extortion.
Further, education of both officers and the public through the media is a common approach.
Finally, advancement of technology is extensively used for decrease of contact between officers and public, and for easier corruption detection.
Studying Police corruption by surveying Police Officers and citizens usually encounter resistance. The reason is either “Code of silence” practiced by the officers or lack of motivation to reveal misconduct by citizens who were involved in it.
Anticorruption measures include providing anti-corruption training programs to traffic officers and wardens and the penalty for violation if caugh.t
Immunity for reporters of a bribe if reported on time, protection of whistle-blowers:
Clearly defined core principles and high standards of behavior for traffic officers and wardens:
Officers subjected to a range of integrity and suitability checks.
Using technology to automatically enforce traffic (cameras where officers are deployed).
Payments through bank accounts:
To help wipe away corruption in the traffic sector, the public should be asked by the IG and ACC for their opinion on what are the reasons for traffic police corruption. This helps define weak spots in traffic department and provides ideas for future anticorruption measures. It also convinces public that the Government is enthusiastic about fighting the corruption.
The consequences of corrupt activities need to be emphasized to both the Police and citizens. Public needs to be informed on their rights and obligations not to give money to Police Officers or Wardens not only through the media (TV, radio, internet), but through formal education as well. The result of this will be early involvement of each citizen in the fight against corruption.
As added prevention measure, increase penalty for unethical behaviour, Police Officers or Wardens caught in corruption should be fired and lose retirement benefits
