BEIJING, Sept. 10 -- More than 16,000 people have been investigated in the past 18 months for breaches of duty, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) on Wednesday.

About two thirds of them, more than 10,800, were administrative functionaries. The cases involved a total of 2,752 deaths and caused direct economic loss of 17.8 billion yuan (275 million U.S. dollars).

A total of 414 officials at or above county level were investigated, including two at ministerial level.

For example, Chen Bohuai, vice chairman of the Hunan political consultative body, was investigated for taking bribes, abuse of power and bending the law for personal gain.

The SPP launched a two-year campaign against breaches of duty in Jan. 2013. By the end of June, 6,659 people had been prosecuted with 4,917 convicted.