Health Inspection Bribe Report Prompts Hotline
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LOS ANGELES — The county Board of Supervisors created a hotline Tuesday for restaurant owners to report improprieties by health inspectors.
The decision was made a day after a county health inspector was arrested over an allegation that he took a bribe from a restaurant owner in exchange for an “A” grade during an inspection.
Orlando Arias was taken into custody Monday at his San Fernando Valley home by Los Angeles police on an arrest warrant listing charges of accepting a bribe and tampering with public records, KCBS-TV Channel 2 said. Police could not immediately confirm the arrest.
On Sunday, the station had aired footage from a hidden camera showing Arias telling a Burbank restaurant owner, “It’s going to cost $200 to get an ‘A,’ ” and taking the money from the owner. Arias was shown on camera denying to a reporter that he took the bribe.
After being confronted with the footage by a reporter, Arias said he had bills to pay.
“I see it as a compensation,” he said. “I feel like I’m doing a good job. If no one is recognizing my good job, I recognize it.”
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