Rostov Police Get Bribe Cash for Declining Bribes, Parliament Ponders Loophole

Rostov police officers who decline bribes are now rewarded with the exact amount offered, transforming anti-corruption into a bizarre payday system. Trending searches ask, 'Do Russian police keep bribes?' and 'How are bribes reported in Russia?' Tural Safarov, a traffic cop, recently netted 30,000 rubles just for saying no. “Each amount offered to an employee in accordance with my order is in the amount that the bribe giver offered,” confirmed Alexander Rechitsky, regional police chief.
This upside-down incentive—where bribe-refusing cops get the cash—has internet sleuths wondering if officers will invent bribe scenarios to earn extra. Critics in Russia’s State Duma worry about a new breed of 'bribe hunters,' sparking searches like 'Can police profit from refusing bribes?' and 'Russian police corruption loopholes.' Deputy Andrei Alshevskikh quipped, 'Police bosses are allegedly pushing their subordinates to extortion,' conjuring visions of officers fishing for bribes to report.
One Rostov traffic inspector scored 30,000 rubles for refusing a bribe, suggesting Russia’s anti-corruption drive now resembles a game show where honesty earns literal cash prizes.