Albufeira’s top traffic cop seems to have lost his rag over a speed trap, and it has caused red faces all around.
According to Correio da Manhã newspaper, the off-duty police officer was clocked doing 86kph in an area with a speed limit of 50kph.
The incident happened a few minutes before midnight on March 29 along Albufeira’s Avenida dos Descobrimentos.
The fuss isn’t so much over the initial faux-pas but in the way Albufeira’s traffic ‘comandante’ reacted. Instead of paying the fine on the spot and submitting his licence, he is reported to have “protested that he did not want to be fined and gone on his way, without giving any justifications”.
Although the police captain eventually paid the statutory €120 fine by ‘multibanco’ (almost 24 hours later), CM contends that, according to the Highway Code, his actions could stand as a serious infraction – a fine of up to €600 and the loss of his licence for anything up to one year.
In a bid to get to the bottom of the story, a senior policeman has been busy this week hearing the testimonies of various traffic policemen. As an official source for the GNR told CM, internal matters are not discussed with the press. However, a spokesman did say that the captain did not receive preferential treatment in any way, shape or form.
Contacted by CM, the top cop is reported to have said he would not give any justification over what had happened.
The internal inquiry was due to wind up on Friday (April 11).
