Mohamed Assam went to buy groceries at a supermarket close to his home near Paris one April afternoon in 2020. By the time he returned, he had incurred more than 900 euros in fines for nine different infractions without once, he said, coming into contact with a police officer, APA reports citing Reuters.
The 27-year-old from the Paris suburb of Epinay-sous-Senart said he learned of the fines about a week later, when he received notifications in the post. His alleged offences, which he is contesting, include violating COVID-19 lockdown rules and lacking correct headlights on his quad bike, according to the notices he received from an interior ministry agency reviewed by Reuters.
"It was a surprise, a bad surprise," said Assam. He now owes thousands of euros in total for fines accrued since 2019, including late payment fees, according to Assam and his lawyer.
French President Emmanuel Macron – facing criticism from rivals who accuse him of being soft on drug dealers and other offenders – has implemented a string of policies aimed at curbing urban crime. Those include greater authority for police to issue fines – a power police have seized upon.
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