Leaders of the justice bureau of Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province, were punished after 26 officials of the bureau used public money for sightseeing in the name of a study tour, people.com.cn reported.

The officials, in three groups, toured nine cities from Nov 24 to Dec 1. The tours were mainly sightseeing arrangements, an investigation by the city's disciplinary watchdog showed.

The head of the bureau and three deputies were given inner-Party warnings, according to an online statement of the disciplinary authority.

The offence was discovered after a member of the public reported irregularities, it said.