Officials punished for setting arbitrary fines

Law-enforcement officials in Yongzhou, Henan province, have been punished for setting arbitrary charges and fines, leading a vehicle owner to take poison, the local government said on Tuesday.

Seven officials with Yongzhou's local highway administration were prosecuted for criminal liability while 17 others received administrative punishments including warning, demotion and dismissal, for arbitrarily setting checkpoints and charging extra fines on highways.

The violations were exposed by media in November when a female truck owner attempted suicide by taking poison in protest at fines of 200,000 yuan ($33,000), almost five times the legal amount. The woman was rushed to a hospital and survived.