Police officers accused of “shaking down” motorist who happens to work at Legislative Assembly

December 24^th, 2015 (ICR News) Two police officers of the Fuerza Publica are under investigation for the alleged “shake down” of a motorist who happens to work in Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly, according to the Ministry of Public Security (MSP).

According to the motorist, Andrés Torrentes, who works in the Legislative Assembly as a consultant to Rep. Jorge Arguedas (FA), three police officers in a police vehicle pulled along side him while he was stopped at a red light while traveling on Second Avenue in downtown San Jose at 8:45 p.m. on December 15^th.

The officers ordered the man to pull his vehicle to the side and park, an order to which he says he complied, according to the complaint.  The officers then asked for his ID and searched his vehicle, Torrentes claims.

According to Torrentes, after the search of his vehicle found nothing illegal, he asked to be on his way, but the police officers demanded money instead.

Torrentes, according to the complaint, opened his wallet to show one of the officers that he was not carrying any cash with him.  The complaint alleges that the same officer then demanded that Torrentes go to a nearby ATM to withdrawal cash.

The officer allegedly then got into Torrentes vehicle and accompanied the man to an ATM machine, while the other two officers remained at the scene in their patrol vehicle.  However, by the time they arrived at the ATM machine, it was after 10pm, after which time the ATM, like many others in San Jose, refused to dispense cash – a measure implemented a few years ago to avoid late-night robberies at automatic cash machines.

According to the complaint, after Torrentes was unable to obtain cash the officer then demanded something of value.  Torrentes told the officer he had a brand new pair of sneakers in his car that he recently purchased, but the officer was not interested in the offer.

Instead, according to the complaint, the officers demanded Torrentes’ mobile phone.

The young man says he asked the officers if he could remove his SIM and memory cards before giving it to the officers, to which they agreed before making off with the device, according to Torrentes.

“Only the phone was stolen.  They wanted something, anything.  After that they gave me my documents back and let me go,” Torrentes said.

He filed a complaint the next day.  “Surely these officers are used to doing that kind of thing and people never file complaints,” Torrentes said.

According to Torrentes, the Judicial Investigative Police (OIJ) were able to obtain important evidence, including surveillance video from the ATM and nearby buildings.

The MSP refused to provide the names of the officers involved, citing the ongoing investigation.  Officials charges have not yet been brought against the officers.

The ministry also did not elaborate on why only two of the three officers are under investigation.