Sri Lanka It's Happening

July 22, 2005

Crooked cops (about 90% of the police force) are in for a windfall. The government has raised the fines for traffic offences. It's extremely unlikely that the government will see even a marginal increase in revenue. Most of the fines will end up in the pockets of dirty speed cops.

An true to form no sooner the increase in fines are announced the cops are on the street. Usually they work only a few hours each day hiding behind billboards with their speed guns. Smoke billowing vehicles, excessive use of the horn, not giving way, jumping red lights, illegal parking and driving in the wrong lane are all ignored. But they descend on you like a ton of bricks the moment your speed limit goes 1km over the legal limit.

Since Sri Lankan's bearocratic system is woefully inefficient you need to spend quite a few hours of time to pay your traffic tickets. So most drivers jump at it when the cops offer to 'pay the fine for you' to save you time. In reality the money ends up in their pockets and they don't even write a ticket. If they do write a ticket, its most likely on a replica of a ticket book.

You may think I am exagerating but that is not so, a very senior police officer has admitted that speed cops are on the take in the newspapers. Sometimes criminals operate under the very noses of the cops, more often they work together.

This is no suprise a former chief of police was known to frequent parties hosted by a Don. A recent tea party at police headquarters was said to have been sponsered by another don. And the man convicted for killing justice Ambepitiya is said to be a close friend of many a police officer.

Posted by raditha at July 22, 2005 2:24 AM