According to a recommendation published this Thursday, the Ombudsman warned the Ministry of Internal Affairs about the unreasonable collection of fees by law enforcement agencies in connection with complaints or requests for a certificate of participation in traffic accidents.
The recommendation addressed to the ministry headed by José Luis Carneiro pointed to the “numerous complaints” received regarding the table of fees for secretarial services, stressed that the security forces did not provide evidence of the complaint and the demand for payment for issuing a deed of denunciation, issues that have already been reviewed in 2015 and then adopted by this ministry.
Emphasizing that complaints continue to be received about the ignorance of PSP agents and GNR soldiers of the need to guarantee the right of citizens to obtain evidence of a complaint, Maria-Lucia Amaral criticized the lack of understanding between departments of the ministry.
“Therefore, I note that the security forces do not agree on procedures to at least ensure the predictability of their respective actions,” the recommendation says.
“In addition to being an illegal practice, it is unfair to continue to check the failure to provide evidence of the complaint, instead charging a tabular amount for the issuance of certificates and declarations, which represents an excessive cost for the citizen. injustice becomes even more unacceptable. given that the presentation of a complaint or grievance usually takes place in the context of a traumatic life experience,” he noted.
With regard to requests for certificates, declarations or photocopies of traffic accident records, the Ombudsman stated that the €22 per page fee was “clearly disproportionate”, adding that it was “absolutely unacceptable” to pass on the cost to citizens of the functioning of public administration.
Maria Luzia Amaral also recalled the charging of employees of organizations under the care of the Ministry for functional declarations for the purposes of the tender, in order to take into account that “if each of these situations is in itself evidence of a practice of maladministration in which the rights of those who is under control, repeatedly violated, when considered together, their injustice stands out even more.
The Ombudsman recommended that the Ministry of the Interior clarify with the security forces issues related to the issuance of evidence about the denunciation and updating the 2010 regulation, which establishes the amounts charged for the actions of the secretariat of organizations under its care, providing a period of 60 days for the Minister to take a stand on this recommendation.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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