BEIJING - The Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) announced on Thursday that it has begun to look into the bribery case of Zhou Benshun, former Party chief of north China's Hebei Province.

Zhou, also former head of the Standing Committee of Hebei Provincial People's Congress, was expelled from the Communist Party of China and dismissed from public office earlier this month for multiple offenses including graft, speaking against the Party line and hindering an official investigation, according to the top anti-graft body.

The SPP said Zhou has also been placed under coercive measures, which include summons by force, bail, residential surveillance, detention and arrest.