A South Korean scientist who created the world’s first cloned dog but was disgraced for falsifying dramatic discoveries in stem-cell research, was convicted yesterday of embezzlement and harvesting human eggs from female subordinates.

Supporters of Hwang Woo Suk, formerly honoured with the title “Supreme Scientist” by the South Korean Government, cheered as he was given a two-year suspended sentence. He was acquitted of fraudulently raising funds from private organisations.

Hwang’s lies were an international scientific scandal. In 2004 the journal Science published a paper by Hwang and fellow scientists at Seoul National University that claimed that they had created the world’s first cloned human embryos and extracted embryonic stem cells — the origins of all human tissue, with the potential to lead to cures for conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

A second paper the following year claimed that they had created lines of stem cells genetically matched to particular patients, another breakthrough that could help to prevent tissue rejection. In a country so sensitive to its place in the hierarchy of nations, Hwang became a hero.

Expert View

Hwang’s fraud does not seem to have seriously set back the progress of regenerative medicine

Mark Henderson, Science Editor

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His downfall began in November 2005 when he was exposed by a television investigation for harvesting eggs from his female researchers — a violation of medical ethics that could result in women coming under pressure to submit to invasive medical procedures from their professional superiors.

After he apologised for the misconduct, of which he said he had no knowledge, there was a surge of public support for him. One of the news programmes that exposed him was temporarily driven off the air and hundreds of women stepped forward to offer their eggs. Further investigation suggested that much of Hwang’s research had been faked. In 2006 a Seoul National University team concluded that he had produced no stem cells of any kind. Science withdrew the two papers bearing his name and he faced a criminal investigation.

He admitted eventually that the findings were faked but blamed the fraud on his colleagues, whom he accused of a conspiracy.

The judges found yesterday that Hwang had misappropriated 830 million won (£430,000) of research funds but ruled that it had not been for his personal enrichment. He was acquitted of fraudulently obtaining private donations worth two billion won.

His three-year trial did not strip him of all his glory. The authenticity of his team’s cloned dog named Snuppy — the Seoul National University puppy — has been independently verified. Since his disgrace Hwang has focused on researching dog cloning at a private research centre.

Despite his exposure as a fraud, he still has passionate supporters, including 55 members of South Korea’s parliament who petitioned the judges to show clemency. About 100 of them cheered as he emerged from court, shouting: “We trust Dr Hwang! Cheer up, Dr Hwang!”

Fakers and jokers

• In 1912, a supposed human skull and fossils were found at Piltdown, East Sussex, and hailed as the missing link between apes and humans. More than 40 years later they were exposed as forgeries

• In the 1930s, the Austrian scientist Paul Kammerer believed he was on the cusp of proving that animals were able to pass on acquired characteristics. Toads that he forced to mate in water soon grew black “nuptial pads”, which amphibians have to help them to hang on to each other when mating. He later found that his assistants had been painting the toads with black ink

• In December 2002, the Raelian cult claimed that it had created the world’s first cloned baby. The group — which believes humans were created by aliens — failed to provide DNA evidence of the claims, which were widely derided as false

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