An Italian man was acquitted of corruption charges after he attempted to bribe a police officer 100 euros during a drunk-driving traffic stop. The country’s top court determined the bribe was too small to be labeled as corruption, especially coming from an incapacitated source, Italian news outlet Today reported
The decision comes after the driver attempted to avoid drunk driving fines by bribing the attending police officer with a crisp 100 euro note, authorities said. That’s about $110. Despite the court’s ruling on the bribe, the driver was convicted of drunk driving, which carries a fine up to 6,200 euros, a suspended license up to a year and up to a year in prison.
According to The Local, Italian law states that a bribery attempt is labeled corruption when the action is made “with appropriate seriousness,” and “that the attempt is able to psychologically unsettle the public official.”
