主题：【文摘】S Korea cloning success 'faked' -- ct

韩国克隆专家黄禹锡接受司法调查

克隆专家黄禹锡最近很少公开露面

韩国检查官员开始对声誉扫地的克隆专家黄禹锡以及他的三名同事进行问话。

黄禹锡所从事的部分干细胞研究成果在今年1月被发现属于伪造。这一成果曾经唤起人们找到快速治愈疑难疾病的希望。

国家审计员上个月说，黄禹锡受到怀疑滥用了国家资金。

检控方据报正在考虑是否要对受到质询的一些人发出逮捕令。

这是黄禹锡自不光彩事件曝光以来首次接受盘问，而且也是几个星期以来首次公开亮相。

他在进入检察官办公室的时候拒绝回答记者的任何提问。

震惊

黄禹锡于去年下半年承认自己的研究成果作假，令世界感到震惊。但是，他坚称大部分的作假活动是在他不知情的情况下进行的。

黄禹锡曾声称他成功克隆干细胞，但韩国首尔国家大学的调查指黄禹锡伪造数据。

不过，黄禹锡确曾克隆了一只狗。

黄禹锡承认研究论文有假，但是说有人阴谋诋毁他。他是这种阴谋的受害者。

黄禹锡一度被韩国人崇拜为民族英雄以及干细胞研究领域的开拓者。

Korean cloning expert questioned

Hwang apologised to the nation in January for his "errors"

South Korean prosecutors have begun questioning disgraced cloning expert Hwang Woo-suk and three members of his research team in the capital, Seoul.

Some of Dr Hwang's stem cell research, which had raised hopes of imminent cures for difficult diseases, was found in January to have been fabricated.

Last month, state auditors said he was suspected of misusing government funds.

Prosecutors are reportedly considering whether to issue arrest warrants against some of those being questioned.

It is the first time Dr Hwang has been questioned since his disgrace, and the first time he has appeared in public for several weeks.

SCANDAL TIMELINE

Feb 2004 Hwang Woo-suk's team declare they have created 30 cloned human embryos and extracted stem cells

May 2005 Team says it has made stem cell lines from skin cells of 11 people

Nov 2005 Hwang apologises for using eggs from his own researchers

15 Dec 2005 A colleague claims stem cell research was faked

23 Dec 2005 Academic panel finds results of May 2005 research were fabricated

10 Jan 2006 Panel finds 2004 work was also faked

Fall of scientific 'rock star'

Profile: Hwang Woo-suk

Looking tight-lipped and tense, he declined to speak to reporters as he entered the prosecutors' offices.

Shock

The scientist caused shockwaves late last year when he admitted flaws in his research but he insisted most of the fabrications were carried out without his knowledge.

A report from experts at Seoul National University then concluded that Dr Hwang had faked his most famous work, the production of a stem cell line taken from cloned embryos.

The panel had previously rejected another of his landmark claims - to have produced individually tailored stem cells.

But it did conclude that Dr Hwang had produced the world's first cloned dog, an Afghan hound called Snuppy.

Dr Hwang has insisted that most of the fabrications which have come to light were carried out without his knowledge, by collaborators on the project.

He has been stripped of some of his titles and been suspended from his university post.

In February, a government audit board said it was trying to trace 2.5 billion won (US$2.6m) in government funds which were allocated to the scientist's research.