BEIJING -- A public prosecution has been initiated against Xu Ying, former deputy director of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, on charges of bribery.

Following the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP)'s designation, the Anyang Municipal People's Procuratorate in Central China's Henan province recently filed a lawsuit against him with the Intermediate People's Court of Anyang, according to an SPP statement released Sunday.

The lawsuit follows the conclusion of an investigation by the National Commission of Supervision into Xu's case.

According to prosecutors, Xu had exploited his positions in the Beijing tobacco monopoly bureau and the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration to secure benefits for others and accept an extremely large amount of bribes.