A 34-year-old Zagreb stonemason was given a suspended sentence for trying to bribe a police officer with 20 euros to avoid a fine for using his phone while driving. In the end, the whole situation cost him considerably more.
A reckless offer of just 20 euros brought criminal prosecution and a suspended sentence to a 34-year-old stonemason from Zagreb. After being pulled over in November last year for using his phone while driving, he tried to resolve the matter his own way, but instead of getting off scot-free, he ended up under the scrutiny of USKOK, Croatia's anti-corruption agency.
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, he immediately agreed to a plea deal with the prosecution once charges were filed, thus avoiding a public court trial. These days, he was sentenced at the Zagreb County Court to a nine-month suspended sentence with a two-year probation period, and he must also pay 500 euros in court costs.
The trouble started on November 14, 2025, at around 9:35 PM. A police patrol stopped the stonemason in Novi Zagreb, at a bus stop on Holjevčeva Avenue, not far from the Museum of Contemporary Art. The officers informed him that they had spotted him using his phone while driving, which is a violation under Article 196 of the Road Traffic Safety Act, carrying a fine of 130 euros.
The driver wasn't happy with the situation, so he made a direct offer to the officer, in the presence of his trainee. "How about I give you 20 euros for coffee, and you don't write me a ticket?", he asked.
That was the trigger for a new warning that he would be taken to the police station because of it. But the stonemason didn't give up. "Let's settle this the way I already told you-and we never saw each other!", he insisted on his offer.
In the end, the 34-year-old not only got a citation for using his phone while driving but also a criminal report filed with USKOK for bribery. Instead of the initial 130 euros, the whole situation cost him 500 euros in court costs, a lot of lost nerves, and being taken into custody, along with the risk of jail if he commits another crime within two years.
