Society

Retrial set for driver who evaded toll fees

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2011-01-14 15:56

A man sentenced to life in prison by a local court for evading 3.68 million yuan ($530,000) in highway toll fees by using fake military documents will face a retrial, as "new evidence" has been discovered, the court said on Friday.

Related readings: Life in jail for man who evaded toll fees

Shi Jianfeng, of Yuzhou, Henan province, faked military car plates, military driver's licenses and military ID cards for two of his trucks, driving them on highways for free, often overloaded, more than 2,000 times in eight months.

Shi was sentenced to life imprisonment and was fined 2 million yuan by Pingdingshan Intermediate People's Court on Dec 21, 2010. 

Shi said he earned only 200,000 yuan by running a business transporting gravel in eight months. The news caused uproar as netizens wonder how the highway toll fees could be so high and punishment severe.