BEIJING, May 29 (Xinhua) -- A total of 12,816 Chinese officials were punished in April for violating frugality rules, the top anti-graft body said Friday.

The officials were involved in 9,032 cases, said a statement issued by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission.

The punished officials include 28 at the prefecture or equivalent level and 1,011 at the county or equivalent level, according to the statement.

Among them, 7,609 were found undertaking formalities for the sake of it or bureaucratism, and 5,213 related cases were handled.

In the meantime, authorities also investigated 3,819 cases of hedonism and extravagant conduct such as giving or accepting gifts, awarding unauthorized allowances or bonuses and misusing public funds for banquets, and penalized 5,207 officials, said the statement.

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