BEIJING -- Prosecutors have initiated a public prosecution against Ren Hua, a former vice chairperson of the government of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in Northwest China, over bribery charges.

The Suzhou Municipal People's Procuratorate of Jiangsu province in East China was designated by the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) to handle Ren's case, the SPP said Friday.

Ren was charged with using the public offices he had held while working in Xinjiang to seek gains for others and in return accept an enormous amount of money and gifts.