Inner Mongolia’s Bayannur Intermediate People’s Court convenes for a retrial of Wang Lijun’s case on Feb 17. [Photo/people.cn]

During the public sentencing, the Bayannur court overruled the previous verdict of a one-year imprisonment and a penalty of 20,000 yuan (around $2,900) pronounced in April last year.

From November 2014 to January 2015, Wang purchased tons of corn at villages near Bainaobao town in the Linhe district of Bayannur with no registrations or business licenses approved by the local industrial and commercial administration.

Wang sold the purchased corn to a grain depot belonging to the Hanggin Rear Banner of Bayannur Oil and Grain Company, accruing 218,288.6 yuan in sales and around 6,000 yuan in profit.

Realizing the violation, Wang voluntarily surrendered himself to the local public security department.

The people's procuratorate of the Linhe district in Bayannur sentenced Wang with a verdict of a one-year imprisonment, two-year probation and a financial penalty on April 15, 2016. The 6,000 yuan of profit Wang made from the corn was refunded to the State treasury.

After the first trial, Wang did not appeal to other higher courts leading the sentence to legal effect.

On Dec 16, 2016, China’s Supreme People’s Court adjudicated Inner Mongolia’s Bayannur Intermediate Court to organize a retrial on Wang’s case in accordance with Article 243 of Criminal Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China. The article indicates that the Supreme People’s Court is empowered to arraign or order lower courts to retrial once finding out erroneous judgments, even if the cases are in effect.

On Feb 13, the Bayannur court convened to deal with Wang’s case. During the trial, the court’s procurator explained that Wang’s act did violate the administrative law for trading without a license, but no harm to society or market order, and thus fail to constitute a crime for illegal business dealing. Wang’s counsel defended the accusation and appealed for innocence.

Over 60 people heard the public verdict including deputies of the local people’s congress, news journalists, local residents and Wang’s relatives.

After the verdict, the court conveyed that Wang has the right to apply for State compensation for his economic losses in the previous verdict, but Wang and his counsel showed no intention for appeal.

Wang told the media he now felt relieved after the final verdict.

Wang Lijun at the public retrial held at the Bayannur Intermediate People’s Court in Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Feb 17. [Photo/people.cn]