Toll evader's life sentence dropped

Beijing - Authorities have decided to overturn the verdict against farmer Shi Jianfeng, who was given a life sentence for evading highway tolls, citing a "lack of evidence and loopholes" in the initial prosecution.

"Because Shi Jianfeng's younger brother, Shi Junfeng, turned himself in as the responsible party, and because we found that charging the elder Shi with fraud might be too severe in this case, we have sent the case back to police for reinvestigation," Wu Fangxiao, spokesman of the People's Procuratorate of Pingdingshan city in Central China's Henan province, said on Monday.

But Wu was quick to add that Shi Jianfeng might still be charged for forging military license plates and could spend three to seven years in prison if found guilty.