Fraud Trial Begins for Stem Cell Scientist
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Disgraced South Korean cloning scientist Hwang Woo-suk went on trial on charges of fraud and embezzlement in a scandal over faked stem cell research that undermined global hopes of new treatments for incurable diseases.
Hwang was indicted last month for allegedly accepting $2.1 million in private donations based on the outcome of the falsified research and embezzling about $831,000 in private and government research funds.
He also was accused of buying human eggs for research, a violation of the country’s bioethics law.
If convicted, the 53-year-old scientist faces at least three years in prison. Hwang is being tried along with five colleagues who face similar charges.
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