A leading Chinese scientist and member of the prestigious Chinese Academy of Engineering has been arrested by authorities in Beijing for allegedly embezzling state funds for research, according to the Associated Press.
Li Ning, a professor of transgene biology at China Agricultural University, faces a charge of misappropriating state funds meant for his research on the cultivation of new transgene biological species, said the Ministry of Science and Technology.
Corruption in academes happens with some frequency in China. Previously, seven professors from five universities were found to have acquired research funds amounting to more than 25 million yuan ($4.08 million) through questionable means.
According to the ministry, two of the academics have been sentenced to prison and convicted, while two more professors and a doctoral student have been arrested.
A special discipline inspection team for the central government found earlier this year that the management of research funds at Fudan University in Shanghai had been erratic and questionable. Furthermore, the team discovered that the institution's construction projects at one of its branches violated rules and engaged in corrupt practices. The team did not elaborate on its findings.
In May, an admission officer at Renmin University in Beijing was arrested on charges of receiving bribes from students who wanted to be admitted to the school.
Speaking with Xinhua News Agency, the Chinese Academy of Engineering said it would respect the court's final verdict on Li's case in accordance with its bylaws.
The transgene biology professor is the first in the country to successfully clone a rare cattle species, according to Xinhua News Agency.