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SEOUL, South Korea -- Disgraced cloning scientist Hwang Woo-suk went on trial Tuesday on charges of fraud and embezzlement in a scandal over faked stem cell research that undermined global hopes of dramatic 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.
Hwang also was accused of buying human eggs for research, a violation of the country's bioethics law.
On the stand Tuesday, Hwang denied faking data for a key academic paper that was published in 2004 on his groundbreaking research.
"I was not involved in the process, I just received results," he said. "I fully trusted (my colleagues) without doubts, but it was clearly my mistake to approve the results."
If convicted, the 52-year-old scientist faces at least three years in prison. Hwang is being tried along with five colleagues who face similar charges.
The prosecution said in its opening statement that Hwang's deception was "a fraud case unmatched in history for...
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.
Hwang also was accused of buying human eggs for research, a violation of the country's bioethics law.
On the stand Tuesday, Hwang denied faking data for a key academic paper that was published in 2004 on his groundbreaking research.
"I was not involved in the process, I just received results," he said. "I fully trusted (my colleagues) without doubts, but it was clearly my mistake to approve the results."
If convicted, the 52-year-old scientist faces at least three years in prison. Hwang is being tried along with five colleagues who face similar charges.
The prosecution said in its opening statement that Hwang's deception was "a fraud case unmatched in history for...
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