BEIJING, Aug. 23 -- The Communist Party of China's (CPC) top anti-graft body said Monday that 4,417 officials had been punished for violating austerity rules in July.

They were involved in 3,044 cases, according to the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) website.

Awarding unauthorized bonuses was the most common misdemeanor, while sending or accepting gifts and misuse of public vehicles were the second- and third-most common, with these cases numbering 799, 562 and 463 respectively.

The CPC released its eight-point rules on austerity in late 2012 to reduce undesirable work practices.