Advice for a fugitive please

PoliticoRon


Joined: 09/11/2009
Posts: 34

Message Posted:
24/10/2010 22:22

Hi all - as I left TRNC last Saturday I was held at the border on a motoring offence (Caught on cam doing 60 in a 50). I was instructed to go to Girne police station within 48 hours or a warrant would be made for my arrest. I explained I had to catch a flight and could I pay at the border police station. After a lot of shouting between the police and border workers I was told to continue my journey.



I hear horror stories about bureaucratic inefficiencies in NC and am having cold sweats about being arrested on re-entry. Does anyone think I should call my lawyer and find out if there is a way to pay from UK? My parents are over there and could call in but the border police say I must appear personally or do you think they wrote it off!



Cheers

Politico

Spearfish



Joined: 23/04/2010
Posts: 149

Message Posted:
24/10/2010 22:25

You are in real trouble.

Tenakoutou



Joined: 27/07/2009
Posts: 4110

Message Posted:
24/10/2010 22:30

'Hosgeldiniz Kibris' immediately springs to mind!

bigOz


Joined: 29/09/2010
Posts: 1244

Message Posted:
25/10/2010 02:05

I do not think a speeding fine will warrant an arrest on re-entry. It may be marked on immigration computers as "warn the police on arrival/departure" and it would be a lot more of an inconvenience when departing if someone decides to hold you until they find out what it is you are wanted for.

When entering the country it is less of s drama. Once they realise it is a traffic fine, usually the duty sergeant just advises you that you must go and pay A.S.A.P. and allow you to carry on. Knowing well that if you don't you would be stopped from going out on your next trip through a check-point!

They will not write it off. But I am really surprised you were told to report to Girne police station within 48 hours! Traffic fines (and I had my own share of them here) are always given at least 2 weeks for payment. Could it be you are not being completely honest with what your offence was? I mean they would ask you that if you did not have the right paperwork on you for the car or your licence...

PoliticoRon


Joined: 09/11/2009
Posts: 34

Message Posted:
25/10/2010 02:40

Hi Oz - The offence was explained to me, I have to say I was oblivious, I did not see the camera or the flash. I was in a hire car, there was no communication sent to my parents home in Alsancak, the hire company said nothing to me and it was them taking me back to the airport.



The 48 hour thing was a pre-printed piece of paper similar to the visa you get stamped at the border; he filled my name in and below my name it had pre-printed 'Is WANTED and must report to police within 48 hours in person to pay 100 Lira fine' - the wanted bit raised a few smiles. I haven't had a chance to be dishonest about the offence because I have no documentation on it. The border guard to me his computer said I was going 10 k over the limit in a 50 three weeks previously. And surely if I was dishonest, and I've lived a fairly honest life thus far, to the police at the border they wouldn't tell me to continue my journey

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
25/10/2010 06:47

Ron,



There is no flash... they are digital and no flash is required... When you return tell the police you will go and pay your fine. You are not a fugitive.

Tenakoutou



Joined: 27/07/2009
Posts: 4110

Message Posted:
25/10/2010 09:09

BigOz/Msg 4: 'I do not think a speeding fine will warrant an arrest on re-entry.'



There's no arguement that a coupla three pots of paint and odds and ends did, and the cost of a speeding fine would amount to substantially more than the alleged theft of these few paltry items!



Hosgeldiniz Kibris - Dikkat!

girne


Joined: 14/01/2009
Posts: 438

Message Posted:
25/10/2010 09:15

ıf your parent ate in TRNc get them go go to Girne police advise them you are out of the country and they should accept the payment from them.



Alternatively we crossed with a friend once who had a speeding fine was told this at the borded when l explained he was giong to the uk they advised as soon as he returns he must pay the fine they.



You hear a lot of horor stories which are just based upon 'chinese whisper'

ozankoys


Joined: 20/06/2008
Posts: 905

Message Posted:
25/10/2010 09:18

If it was a hire car then surely if your parents gave them the 100 lira they could go & pay it on your behalf & inform the police that you will not be coming back for a while?

simbas



Joined: 16/07/2007
Posts: 5943

Message Posted:
25/10/2010 09:37

This happened to me a few years ago , i was upheld at the Airport on my arrival late at night .Was told to go to Famagusta Police Station in the morning . My car rental's owner { Hakan of Sur Car Rental } came with me as i don't speak Turkish . Paid my Fine { would only take Turkish Lira } but it was more than a 100 Lira 25 points on my licence .

Simbas

Tiggy


Joined: 25/07/2007
Posts: 1994

Message Posted:
25/10/2010 12:37

Simbas,



You told us a different story.....something about a car/street/crawling/arrested!



XXXX

simbas



Joined: 16/07/2007
Posts: 5943

Message Posted:
25/10/2010 12:40

Oh for pity sake Tiggy , cut me a little slack here . Haven't you ever done something that you would rather forget .

Slacko

deputydawg


Joined: 30/03/2010
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
25/10/2010 13:10

When crossing for the first time in years, on foot, I received exactly the same notice ie "wanted", 48 hrs to report to police in Girne or be arrested. It transpired that there were two alleged speeding offences from over 2 years earlier but within a month of each other adjacent to Ercan airport. The documentation indicated exactly the same speed and exactly 1 kph into a high fine bracket. The camera is so obviously placed I am as certain as possible that I have never breached the speed limit there and I am not even convinced that I was there on the dates stated. I took the view "do as you are told and complain afterwards" so I paid the heavy fines. However, when I took the documentation to the front office to pay it was all taken from me and a receipt with no detail was given. I was refused the documentation so somewhat thwarted in taking issue with the process and the penalty points.

mikeythespark



Joined: 10/11/2009
Posts: 224

Message Posted:
25/10/2010 14:53

Ron, This happened to us when we entered the TRNC back in April of this year, Mikey was told to go to Girne police station as he had 2 speeding tickets which were quite old, he went to the police station and was given the details of the offences, which he disputed. It turned out they had been made by the car hire company after they collected the car we had dropped off at the airport, they had kept it in Mikeys name, hence the fines went to him upon entry to TRNC. Mikey went to Nicosia police station and checked out photo's of the driver ( not him!!) and along with the stamps in his passport to show he was not in the TRNC at the time of the offence he did not have to pay. I suggest you check the date and time of said offence just in case it was not you.

Mary, Wife of Sparky Mike

HNComputers


Joined: 23/08/2009
Posts: 472

Message Posted:
25/10/2010 16:24

This happened to my mother - She was on holiday with a rental car, went back to the uk after a 3 week holiday and on her return the following summer she was immediately taken to the police station upon arrival with 48 hours to pay 3500tl for a couple of speeding tickets she had....I guess the late payment charges were high!



May advice is to make sure you pay and not to leave it too late

Hector


Joined: 26/08/2008
Posts: 2352

Message Posted:
25/10/2010 16:33

Yet another fantastic way to encourage tourists...

letty


Joined: 04/12/2008
Posts: 360

Message Posted:
28/10/2010 04:22

If you have a speeding prosecution pending, and dont for any reason make it to the police station in person within 48 hours of notification of the alleged offence from any government official, You will be hunted down and executed on sight. obviously Without trial, They can even get you back from england. I should imagine.

This may not be completely true but If you prepare for the worst things can only turn out better than you expected.

PoliticoRon


Joined: 09/11/2009
Posts: 34

Message Posted:
29/10/2010 01:18

Don't you worry Letty - they'll never find me in England!! I have some standards!

elko2



Joined: 24/07/2007
Posts: 4400

Message Posted:
29/10/2010 01:32

Its amazing how people are misinformed by the police.

1. they make a lot of noise when leaving but they have no right to stop you and they never do that.

2. when you enter TRNC next time you have to call at the police station to pick up your ticket.

3. You have the option to pay the fine. If you don't, you are free to enter and leave with no bother until you get papers from the court. Probably they will never send them. I have a collection of 15 unpaid tickets and no summonses so far. I am free to come and go as I please and nobody asks me anything. It would be fun if they ever do that.

ismet

flowerfairy


Joined: 17/09/2008
Posts: 1277

Message Posted:
29/10/2010 08:58

Ismet, that's very helpful. I was going over the boarder with a friend last year. When I presented the passports at the checkpoint, we were told to go back to Girne police station to pay a speeding ticket.

We turned around and did as we were told.

At Girne police station, we were told that the computers were down, so carry on with your journey and pay

when they phone to let us know when the computers are up and running, A bit of a waste of time, don't you think?

icklepix


Joined: 23/10/2008
Posts: 194

Message Posted:
29/10/2010 11:19

I agree with message 14, check the date and time. We had a similiar prob got given a ticket at the border from 2 yrs ago went to the police station, firstly checked the time 7am! no chance we were on holiday still in bed at the time then checked the date which was 1 month after we had left! They had our rental paper on top so that was correct but we were back in the UK at the time of the "offence". We told them this and they seemed to be happy - so we went on our way.



Me thinks it was the hire car company! Tut Tut!