12,759 officials punished for misbehavior

At least 12,759 officials have been punished for inappropriate behavior uncovered by a second 2013 round of inspections by China's top anti-graft watchdog, Beijing News reported.

Special: China cracks down on graft

Two senior Shanxi officials in graft probe

Sixty-eight officials at prefecture-level (below ministerial-level and above county-level) have been punished and another 128 handed over to prosecutors.

In October, the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection sent 10 teams to the provinces, ministries, State-owned enterprises and Xinhua News Agency to collect information on corruption. All 10 teams issued rectification reports by Wednesday night.

The reports of eight inspection sites, excluding Xinhua News Agency and Yunnan province, said a total of 12,759 officials had received punishments. The Xinhua report did not detail punishments. Yunnan province reported 754 cases investigated, including eight at prefecture-level, but did not report the number of officials punished.

Of the 68 prefecture-level officials who received punishments, 38 were from Guangdong province, 15 from Hunan province and six from the Ministry of Land and Resources.

The number of prefecture-level officials punished in Shanxi province by the end of April doubled from the same period a year earlier.

Two provincial-level officials in Shanxi province — Ling Zhengce and Du Shanxue — are being further investigated on suspicion of grave violations of discipline and the law, China's top anti-graft organization said on Thursday. At least 20 prefecture-level officials in Shanxi have been investigated this year.

The reports also noted the ways in which senior officials violated the rules. For example, Jilin province reported: "Three vice-provincial-level officials held posts in financial organizations. One has been punished for grave violations of discipline and the law, and the other two have resigned from their posts at the enterprises."