“Went into the field by mistake”: 12 internal affairs officers caught taking bribes

Over the past nine months of this year, five of 99 employees who were slow to respond to citizens' appeals have been dismissed from their positions, three received fines, four were issued severe reprimands, and 30 were given reprimands. This was announced today, October 7, at a meeting of the Public Council under the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

It was also reported that the number of appeals submitted through the Presidential Virtual and Public Reception Offices decreased by 28 percent compared to the same period last year.

The meeting highlighted the existence of employees within internal affairs bodies who prioritize personal interests over public service. Such employees were described as those who “went into the field by mistake.” It was emphasized that the misconduct and crimes committed by certain staff members have become subjects of broad public discussion, contributing to negative perceptions of internal affairs agencies.

In particular, it was reported that 12 employees across the country accepted bribes during the past nine months. At the same time, 213 employees who independently took the initiative to expose bribery attempts without accepting the money offered by citizens were commended, and legal measures were taken against those who offered the bribes.

A sectoral breakdown showed that the highest number of bribe offers occurred in the field of road safety (109 cases), followed by crime prevention (35), search and rescue (31), penal institutions (14), migration and citizenship (10), criminal investigation (7), transport security (3), and probation services (2).