A police officer in Visby is facing charges of attempted fraud after allegedly trying to deceive a store’s self-checkout machine in order to pay less for a salad.
The incident occurred on October 12 at an Ica store in Visby, as reported by Hela Gotland. The officer, who was in uniform at the time, was at the store to purchase a salad. When she went to pay for it at the self-checkout, she discovered that the barcode on the salad had a different price than what the item actually cost, resulting in a difference of approximately SEK 90.
In the lawsuit filed against the officer, the prosecutor stated that the act is to be judged as attempted fraud due to the fact that the officer was wearing a police uniform at the time. The lawsuit further alleges that the officer’s actions seriously abused her position as a police officer and may have damaged the public’s trust in the police authority.
During the trial, an employee from the store is expected to testify that there was no other barcode on the salad can, and also that the employee felt influenced by the fact that the officer was wearing a uniform.
While the policewoman acknowledges the events as they occurred, she denies any wrongdoing, according to the lawsuit.
This incident comes in the wake of other recent controversies involving police officers, including a case where officers were charged with coffee theft after being caught in a trap set by their colleagues, and another case where police faced charges of assault. These incidents have raised concerns about the conduct of law enforcement officials and their adherence to the law they are meant to uphold.