Traffic officer sentenced to two years for accepting ‘juice box’ bribe

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Internal Security Court sentenced a traffic officer to two years in prison for accepting a bribe in the form of a case of juice boxes, the Ministry of Interior announced Monday.

The case followed the circulation of a video on social media showing a traffic patrol taking the bribe in exchange for returning vehicle documents it had confiscated earlier.

The court sentenced the officer to two years of imprisonment and fined him 1.1 million Iraqi dinars under the Penal Code. The ruling also ordered his dismissal from service once the verdict becomes final, classifying the crime as dishonorable.

Another officer who was present received a six-month prison sentence for failing to prevent or report the act before the video was shared online. Two additional officers were acquitted due to insufficient evidence.

In its statement, the Interior Ministry said it “will not allow individual actions to undermine the sacrifices of its personnel and the services they provide in various fields of life,” adding that it would confront any attempt to damage its reputation.