Toll fraud case to be reopened
By Wang Qingchu |
January 15, 2011, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A COURT in central China announced yesterday that it will re-examine a case in which a man was sentenced to life imprisonment for evading 3.68 million yuan (US$557,365) in road toll fees.
The court in Henan Province's Pingdingshan City convicted Shi Jianfeng, 43, of fraud on December 21 for avoiding, 2,300 times, tolls by using fake military license plates and uniforms between May 2008 and January 2009. Military vehicles are exempt from highway tolls. Shi was also fined 2 million yuan.
Shi operated a business transporting sand and stones with two trucks.
The verdict may change because the defendant indicated he had accomplices, Liu Penghua, director of the political department of the Pingdingshan Intermediate People's Court, told Xinhua news agency. "Shi said during an inquiry on Thursday night that he was manipulated by a relative," Liu was quoted as saying.
New testimony
Shi claimed when he was questioned that he had taken the blame for his brother and that they had an accomplice inside the toll collection gate. The court said it will retry the farmer since the verdict might change based on the new testimony.
At the original hearing, the court heard that Shi used two fake military number plates, driver's licenses, military ID cards and other documents to avoid paying toll fees.
The average toll each time would have been 1,558 yuan because of the weight his trucks carried.
"Frequent and extravagant" overloading of trucks leads to high tolls, Xi Zongming, general manager of the Pingdingshan branch of the Henan Zhongyuan Expressway Co Ltd, told Xinhua.
After the court announced its verdict, there was a public outcry about a punishment many considered too harsh. Shi was the first person in the country sentenced to life for such violations.
The court held a news conference to defend its decision, justifying its ruling by citing the huge amount of tax Shi evaded and the long period over which he did so.
The toll fees had accumulated to such a high number because the two trucks, which were severely overloaded, passed the toll gate at an extremely high frequency, said Jin Yuwei, assistant manager of the highway operator.
The trucks passed Xiatang and Changge toll gates 12 times on May 5, 2008. Such a busy schedule was found to be common for the trucks, according to court documents.
The trucks, designed to carry 25 tons, were often loaded with around 70 tons of sand or stones, court documents showed.
Toll fee for a truck loaded with goods were much higher than that for an empty truck, Jin said.
Shi said he made 200,000 yuan from transporting sand and stones. He said he had used the money to pay off debts.
Shi, claiming he was a soldier with Xuchang City's Armed Police Force, came to Xiatang toll gate on Zhengrao Highway in May 2008 to apply for toll-free passes for two trucks, saying there was a construction project going on, a staff member at the toll gate surnamed Li said.
The court in Henan Province's Pingdingshan City convicted Shi Jianfeng, 43, of fraud on December 21 for avoiding, 2,300 times, tolls by using fake military license plates and uniforms between May 2008 and January 2009. Military vehicles are exempt from highway tolls. Shi was also fined 2 million yuan.
Shi operated a business transporting sand and stones with two trucks.
The verdict may change because the defendant indicated he had accomplices, Liu Penghua, director of the political department of the Pingdingshan Intermediate People's Court, told Xinhua news agency. "Shi said during an inquiry on Thursday night that he was manipulated by a relative," Liu was quoted as saying.
New testimony
Shi claimed when he was questioned that he had taken the blame for his brother and that they had an accomplice inside the toll collection gate. The court said it will retry the farmer since the verdict might change based on the new testimony.
At the original hearing, the court heard that Shi used two fake military number plates, driver's licenses, military ID cards and other documents to avoid paying toll fees.
The average toll each time would have been 1,558 yuan because of the weight his trucks carried.
"Frequent and extravagant" overloading of trucks leads to high tolls, Xi Zongming, general manager of the Pingdingshan branch of the Henan Zhongyuan Expressway Co Ltd, told Xinhua.
After the court announced its verdict, there was a public outcry about a punishment many considered too harsh. Shi was the first person in the country sentenced to life for such violations.
The court held a news conference to defend its decision, justifying its ruling by citing the huge amount of tax Shi evaded and the long period over which he did so.
The toll fees had accumulated to such a high number because the two trucks, which were severely overloaded, passed the toll gate at an extremely high frequency, said Jin Yuwei, assistant manager of the highway operator.
The trucks passed Xiatang and Changge toll gates 12 times on May 5, 2008. Such a busy schedule was found to be common for the trucks, according to court documents.
The trucks, designed to carry 25 tons, were often loaded with around 70 tons of sand or stones, court documents showed.
Toll fee for a truck loaded with goods were much higher than that for an empty truck, Jin said.
Shi said he made 200,000 yuan from transporting sand and stones. He said he had used the money to pay off debts.
Shi, claiming he was a soldier with Xuchang City's Armed Police Force, came to Xiatang toll gate on Zhengrao Highway in May 2008 to apply for toll-free passes for two trucks, saying there was a construction project going on, a staff member at the toll gate surnamed Li said.
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