Taiwan University Professor Convicted of Fraud: Misappropriation of Research Funds

A National Tsing Hua University Associate Professor Faces Penalties for False Procurement of Research Funding.

A shocking case has unfolded in Taiwan, where an Associate Professor from National Tsing Hua University, identified as Huang, has been found guilty of defrauding the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology of nearly 400,000 NTD in research funding. The professor was accused of fabricating procurement details to obtain funds, purchasing items unrelated to the research projects, such as ceramics, Braille paper, and thermal printing paper.

The Hsinchu District Court ruled that Huang, motivated by greed, fraudulently obtained funds, disregarding the interests of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology. This action undermined public trust in the integrity and ethical standards of professors at higher education institutions. Consequently, Huang was convicted of the crime of fraud and sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison, with a 3-year probation period. Additionally, he is required to pay 400,000 NTD to the public treasury, and the illicit gains of over 398,000 NTD were confiscated.

The court investigation revealed that the National Tsing Hua University associate professor, Huang, was responsible for managing research projects funded by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology from December 2018 to December 2021. The court found that Huang was aware that the funds were allocated by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology to National Tsing Hua University, with the university managing the approval and auditing of expenditures. The court emphasized that the procured items must be used for the respective projects, and supporting documentation of purchases should be submitted for auditing purposes.