News24 reported the accused, a Randburg man, Dr Stoyan Hristov Stoychev from Bulgaria, appeared on 1 907 charges. Of these charges, 903 were for alleged fraud of R15 000 for false number plates as well as for alleged transgressions of the National Road Traffic Act, and the SA National Roads Agency Limited and the National Roads Act.
According to the court docket, Stoychev commuted in his vehicle without one of its number plates, changed the ‘C’ on the number plate to an ‘O, and swapped two of the numbers around. The changed number plate was the registration of a Ford Bantam bakkie which was a registered e-toll user.
The newspaper reported that the prosecution was the first of its kind since e-tolls were introduced on 3 December 2013.
It was alleged that Stoychev secured the number plates with cable ties for easy removal, refused to pay toll fees, drove without number plates, changed his number plate, and did not display his licence disc properly.
Traffic officials arrested him on the N1 freeway in Centurion on 2 October, but he was later released on R10 000 bail.
