13,800 investigated for corruption

BEIJING - Prosecutorial agencies across China investigated 13,842 people in the first half of the year on suspicion of corruption that harmed the public or citizens' interests.

Prosecutors investigated 9,747 cases of public funds embezzlement and bribery with the total sum of money involved reaching 1.77 billion yuan ($287 million), said a statement issued by the anti-corruption bureau of the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) on Monday.

The SPP launched a campaign in January, targeting violations in key sectors including land acquisition and house demolition, affordable housing projects, education, employment, medical services, social security, environmental protection and food and drug safety.

Most of the suspects, 7,132 of them, were officials or workers in administrative bodies at grassroots levels, the statement said.