Shanghai municipal gov't confirms trap in enforcement against illegal cab operations

The Shanghai municipal government confirmed Monday that local transport supervisors entrapped a van driver while investigating illegal cab operations.

The Pudong New Area government will end the case according to law and make an open apology to the public, it was disclosed at an executive meeting of the Shanghai municipal government.

Investigation found the former Nanhui District transport supervision team used wrongful methods to collect evidence in the case, according to a press conference Monday morning in Pudong. Nanhui District became part of Pudong in May.

The case involved a 19-year-old driver named Sun Zhongjie, who was seized allegedly conducting "illegal cab operation" on Oct. 14,after he picked up a pedestrian who asked for a lift.

Sun said he was ensnared by the urban management staff who were in charge of investigating unlicensed cabs, or "black cab".

The pedestrian Chen Xiongjie made false statement to the investigation staff, according to the press conference in Pudong.

Sun cut off a piece of the little finger of his left hand to prove his innocence.

The Pudong urban management authorities said on Oct. 20 that local transport supervisors did not entrap the van driver, and the local transport supervisors' enforcement "was legitimate, and related means to collect evidence was not inappropriate.

It was also learned at the Shanghai municipal government executive meeting that improper evidence collection was involved in a similar case in Minghang District.

A local driver named Zhang Hui was fined 10,000 yuan (1,464 U.S. dollars) by the district's traffic law enforcement team for allegedly operating illegal cab services after he gave ride to a sick stranger on Sept. 8.

The Minhang District government will revoke the previous punishment on the driver, according to the meeting.

Source: Xinhua