Peruvian Police Officer Sentenced to Six Years for Bribery

A police officer in Peru, Edwin Mendoza, has been sentenced to six years in prison for demanding a bribe. The sub-lieutenant of the National Police of Peru (PNP) was found guilty of passive bribery in the exercise of his police duties.

Mendoza solicited S/4,000 from a driver he had stopped on the Pan-American Highway. The officer intended to forgo issuing a traffic ticket for the driver's lack of a license in exchange for the payment. According to the Public Ministry's investigation, the driver initially paid S/500 in cash, followed by S/1,500 through bank transfers and mobile applications to accounts linked to Mendoza.

The Provincial Corporate Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Crimes of Corruption of Officials in Northwest Lima, through prosecutor Giordano Macera Cuarita, led the investigation. The prosecution successfully demonstrated during the oral trial that Mendoza violated his official obligations by directly soliciting money from a citizen to overlook a traffic violation.

Beyond the six-year prison sentence, Mendoza has been disqualified from holding any public office for two years. He is also required to pay S/5,000 in civil reparations to the state. The conviction highlights ongoing efforts to combat corruption within law enforcement in Peru.