'Tigers' caught in graft probe triple: Top procurator

Cao Jianming, the procurator general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP), delivered a work report to national lawmakers during the third session of the 12th National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 12, 2015. [Photo by Wu Zhiyi/China Daily]

Number of senior officials investigated in graft cases jumped from 8 to 28 in just one year, said the top procurator on Thursday.

Cao Jianming, the procurator general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP), delivered a work report to national lawmakers on Thursday during China's annual parliamentary session.

Highlighting China's sweeping anti-corruption blitz, the report said 28 officials at the provincial or ministerial level and higher were placed under judicial investigation for corruption last year.

The officials included Zhou Yongkang, a former member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Xu Caihou, former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission.

Thursday's figure was compared to eight officials at the provincial or ministerial level who were investigated for suspected embezzlement and bribery in 2013.

From 2008 to 2012, a total of 30 officials at the provincial or ministerial level and higher faced investigation for corruption or other job-related crimes, Cao said.

Prosecutors investigated the cases of Bo Xilai, a former member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in 2012.

The SPP had the resolution to fight every corruption and punish every corrupt official, focusing on duty-related crimes committeed by leading officials in key positions, according to Thursday's report.

Here are other highlights of Cao's report.

Statistics on anti-graft campaign

The report said prosecutors investigated and punished 14,062 public servants for abusing power and embezzlement, up 13.2 percent from the previous year.

A total of 55,101 people were investigated for duty-related crimes in 41,487 cases, an annual increase of 7.4 percent, according to the report.

In addition, 7,827 bribers were prosecuted for criminal offenses, up 37.9 percent from the previous year. 

749 'fugitives' hiding overseas brought back

A total of 749 suspected fugitives allegedly involved in corruption have been brought back from overseas, said Cao.

The campaign to hunt down alleged fugitives was launched in October 2014, netting suspects from 17 countries and regions, including the US and Canada.

The judicial authorities pledged to intensify the international manhunt for officials who have fled abroad to evade justice.