A Chinese government audit has uncovered misuse of 1.4bn yuan, or 170 million US dollars in state funds, including money earmarked for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

　　Most of the misuse involved fraud or using government money to build office buildings and staff residences, according to Auditor-General Li Jinhua.

　　Since 1999, the General Administration of Sports had been given 131 million yuan for China's Olympic organising committee.

　　Around 109 million yuan went into building apartments for staff, while the rest was illegally invested into companies.

　　The figures were revealed in a report delivered by Li Jinhua to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Wednesday.

　　His report also uncovered widespread embezzlement by officials of poverty relief funds intended to aid farmers.

　　He also catalogued inefficiency in constructing infrastructure projects, and tax evasion by state enterprises.