Liu Tienan, the former deputy chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission, was charged with graft on Monday, Reuters reported, citing a statement by China’s state prosecutor. Removed from his position in May last year and thrown out of the Communist Party in August, Liu will be the first ministerial-level official to face a probe after Xi Jinping took power in 2012 and announced a crackdown on corruption. State media have earlier reported that Liu had taken bribes for helping a businessman to defraud bank loans of over RMB1.25 billion (US$200 million) in 2011 for an investment in Canada.