German police 'racket'
Page 15
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
SCORES of West German traffic policemen are being questioned about a giant extortion racket practised along the motorways in the Ruhr area and which is estimated to have cost hauliers at least 0 million.
Lorry drivers from many EEC countries were the victims of the racket which was described for the first time in a court at Siegel, this month when two policemen faced charges.
The method was always the same. Police ordered lorries to pull in and stop at the next parking area along the autobahn. Drivers were told casually: -You're overloaded
don't you want to drop somethhig A?"
In return, police agreed to turn a blind eye Co speeding offences or other minor traffic infringements.
The two accused policemen, Sgt I lans-Joachim Wagencr and PC I lans-Georg Niephaus, were accused of accepting at least 127 bribes between them iii six years.
The bribes outlined in the charge-sheet read like a restaurant's shopping list: 7kg of ham, 9kg of cutlets, chickens, boxes of eggs and strawberries, sacks of potatoes, and bottles of wine.
It was stated in court that 117 policemen are being ques
tioned about the racket in one area alone. Nineteen have already been suspended from duty.
According to the prosecution, most lorry drivers lacked the courage to refuse to hand over part of their loads as bribes. Niephaus claimed in court: "The drivers sometimes just gave us presents."
One witness told the court that some drivers regularly handed over bribes to the police whom he described as "modern highwaymen in uniform".
Eight drivers are giving evidence in the case. A verdict is expected next month.